The plant cuticle, which connects with the external environment directly, is composed of an intermeshed cutin polyester membrane overlaid with free waxes. Plant cuticle forms specific structure and complex chemical composition in the long-term process of adaptation to outer environment. The most important function of cuticular wax is recognized as involving in blocking water loss through non-stomatal transpiration, thus improving the use efficiency of water in plant, and finally adapting to the drought environment. Drought stress can lead to metabolic changes in cuticular wax, which is eventually conducted through the regulation of gene expression. Recently, many wax metabolism-related genes involving in plant adaptation to drought stress have been discovered. Some genes have been cloned and used to improve the drought tolerance of crops. However, it is still not clear that the molecular mechanisms of these genes involve in drought tolerance as well as the relationship with ABA. Here, we review the changes of metabolism, including the composition and content of wax while plants adapting to water deficit conditions, and the main genes involved and their molecular biology. Understanding the role and molecular mechanism of cuticular wax in the adaptation of plants to drought may provide new molecular markers and important target genes for breeding the drought tolerance of agricultural crops, i.e., better service for agricultural practices.%植物表皮是植物与外部环境直接接触的部位，包括具有立体网状结构的角质和填充其间并覆盖其上的蜡质。植物在适应外界环境的过程中，表皮蜡质形成了特殊的结构和复杂的化学组成。植物表皮蜡质最重要的功能是参与阻止植物非气孔性失水，提高植物对水分的利用效率，以实现对干旱环境的适应。干旱环境会导致植物表皮蜡质代谢的变化，这种变化最终通过调控基因表达来实现。目前已经发现了多个蜡质代谢相关基因参与了植物对干旱环境的适应，部分基因已经成功克隆并且用于改良农作物的抗旱性。但这些基因参与干旱响应的分子机制及其与ABA的关系并不很清楚。就植物适应水分胁迫而发生的包括蜡质组成和含量在内的代谢变化，以及该过程中所涉及的主要基因及其分子生物学研究进行综述。探讨表皮蜡质在植物适应干旱中的重要作用及其分子机制，可为农作物的抗旱育种提供新型的分子标记和重要靶基因，最终服务于农业生产实践。
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