Research PaperVascular plants with secondary growth develop a periderm mostly composed of dead suberized cork cells to face
environmental hostile conditions. Cork oak has a highly active and long-living phellogen forming a remarkably thick
periderm that is periodically debarked for industrial purposes. This wounding originates the quick formation of a new
traumatic periderm, making cork oak an exceptional model to study the first periderm differentiation during normal
development in young sprigs and traumatic (wound) periderm formation after debarking. Here, we studied the poorly
known first periderm differentiation steps that involve cell wall suberization, polyphenolic accumulation and programmed
cell death (PCD) by combining transmission electron microscopy, histochemical and molecular methods in periderms from
young sprigs. These processes were further compared with traumatic periderms formed after wounding using molecular
and histochemical techniques, such as the polyphenolic accumulation. In the first periderms from young sprigs, four
distinct differentiation stages were defined according to the presence of PCD morphological features. First young and
traumatic periderms showed an upregulation of genes related to suberin biosynthesis, proanthocyanidins biosynthesis
and transport, autophagy, and PCD. Traumatic periderms revealed an overall upregulation of these genes, likely resulting
from ontogeny differences and distinct phellogen origin associated with a faster metabolism, highlighting the impact of
wounding on phellogen activity after debarking. First periderms from young sprigs showed gradual accumulation of
proanthocyanidins in the vacuoles throughout PCD stages until total filled lumens, whereas in traumatic periderms,
these compounds were found cell wall linked in already empty cells. This work enabled a comprehensive overview of
the cork cells differentiation processes contributing to deepening the knowledge of the fundamental ontogenic program
of this protective tissue, which is also a unique forest product, constituting the basis of a sustainable and profitable
industryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
