Suberization in Response to Stress

Stress seems to affect suberization. Salt stress due to mineral deficiencies can result in changes in suberization. For example, magnesium deficiency caused the hypodermis (Fig. 6.4.3) and endodermis of Zea mays roots to have more heavily suberized cell walls (372), whereas iron deficiency in Phaseolus vulgaris led to a drastic decrease in suberin deposition in the roots (412). Mechanical stress in the form of physical impedance to root growth caused increased suberization in the walls of endodermal cells of Hordeum vulgare roots (497). 

Suberin also plays a role in cold stress. The periderm layers in the bark serve as insulation for the plant (110). Thus suberin deposition in the bark of Vitis vinifera was shown to protect the plant from freezing damage (303, 351). The leaves of Secale cereale were shown by both ultrastructural and chemical analysis to deposit increased levels of aliphatic components in the epidermis and in the mestome sheath in response to growth at low temperatures (146). 

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