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Creators/Authors contains: "van de Kerkhof, Gea Theodora"

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  1. ; ; ; ; ( , New Phytologist)
    Summary

    The majority of plant colours are produced by anthocyanin and carotenoid pigments, but colouration obtained by nanostructured materials (i.e. structural colours) is increasingly reported in plants. Here, we identify a multilayer photonic structure in the fruits ofLantana strigocamaraand compare it with a similar structure inViburnum tinusfruits.

    We used a combination of transmission electron microscopy (EM), serial EM tomography, scanning force microscopy and optical simulations to characterise the photonic structure inL. strigocamara. We also examine the development of the structure during maturation.

    We found that the structural colour derives from a disordered, multilayered reflector consisting of lipid droplets ofc.105 nm that form a plate‐like structure in 3D. This structure begins to form early in development and reflects blue wavelengths of light with increasing intensity over time as the structure develops. The materials used are likely to be lipid polymers.

    Lantana strigocamarais the second origin of a lipid‐based photonic structure, convergently evolved with the structure inViburnum tinus. Chemical differences between the lipids inL. strigocamaraand those ofV. tinussuggest a distinct evolutionary trajectory with implications for the signalling function of structural colours in fruits.

     
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