Lessons on Dehydration Tolerance from Desiccation‐Tolerant Plants

Oliver, Melvin J.

doi:10.1002/9780470376881.ch2

Cited by 30 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 168 publications

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“…Borya constricta (Gaff and Churchill 1976). The existence of environmentallyinduced desiccation tolerance in a number of unrelated plant species suggests this ability has evolved independently in desiccation-sensitive progenitors (Oliver 2007) and supports the hypothesis that the phenomenon is related to the ability of a large majority of land plants to produce viable dry seed (Gaff 1980;Oliver 2007). This hypothesis, argued further by Gaff and Oliver (in preparation) implies that the genes required are inherent within the genomes of the majority of land plants, and that desiccation tolerance in resurrection plants was acquired by an extension of components of the developmental program used to produce desiccated seed tissue into vegetative tissues.…”

Section: Resurrection Plants and The Evolution Of Desiccation-tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

The resurrection plant Sporobolus stapfianus: An unlikely model for engineering enhanced plant biomass?

et al. 2010

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The resurrection grass Sporobolus stapfianus Gandoger can rapidly recover from extended periods of time in the desiccated state (water potential equilibrated to 2% relative humidity) (Gaff and Ellis, Bothalia 11:305-308 1974; Gaff and Loveys, Transactions of the Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology 3:286-287 1993). Physiological studies have been conducted in S. stapfianus to investigate the responses utilised by these desiccationtolerant plants to cope with severe water-deficit. In a number of instances, more recent gene expression analyses in S. stapfianus have shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms mediating these responses. S. stapfianus is a versatile research tool for investigating desiccation-tolerance in vegetative grass tissue, with several useful characteristics for differentiating desiccation-tolerance adaptive genes from the many dehydration-responsive genes present in plants. A number of genes orthologous to those isolated from dehydrating S. stapfianus have been successfully used to enhance drought and salt tolerance in model plants as well as important crop species. In addition to the ability to desiccate and rehydrate successfully, the survival of resurrection plants in regions experiencing short sporadic rainfall events may depend substantially on the ability to tightly down-regulate cell division and cell wall loosening activities with decreasing water availability and then grow rapidly after rainfall while water is plentiful. Hence, an analysis of gene transcripts present in the desiccated tissue of resurrection plants may reveal important growth-related genes. Recent findings support the proposition that, as well as being a versatile model for devising strategies for protecting plants from water-loss, resurrection plants may be a very useful tool for pinpointing genes to target for enhancing growth rate and biomass production.

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Section: Resurrection Plants and The Evolution Of Desiccation-tolerancementioning

confidence: 99%

The resurrection plant Sporobolus stapfianus: An unlikely model for engineering enhanced plant biomass?

et al. 2010

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“…Wider roles than stabilisation of protein have been suggested for LEA4 proteins, including increased drought avoidance, membrane permeability and antioxidant enzyme activity (Liu et al 2009). Concurrent action of the various LEA proteins may be needed for desiccation tolerance (Oliver 2007). LEA proteins accumulate late in the maturation of orthodox seed when the embryo is becoming desiccation tolerant.…”

Section: Desiccation-tolerant Plant Evolution Functional Plant Biologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such an induction is evident in 49% of moss species, compared with 26% of moss species with constitutive desiccation tolerance ( Table 2). Constitutive desiccation tolerance has been studied intensively in the moss Tortula ruralis (Bewley 1979;Oliver 2007). A PDT values are original here (DF Gaff) determined by vapour equilibration and from synthesis of chlorophyll of dry yellow leaves when rehydrated (Gaff and Churchill 1976).…”

Section: Quantitative: Protoplasmic Drought Tolerance Of Angiospermsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolution of desiccation tolerance in angiosperm plants: a rare yet common phenomenon

Gaff

Oliver²

2013

Functional Plant Biol.

187

176

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Abstract. In a minute proportion of angiosperm species, rehydrating foliage can revive from airdryness or even from equilibration with air of~0% RH. Such desiccation tolerance is known from vegetative cells of some species of algae and of major groups close to the evolutionary path of the angiosperms. It is also found in the reproductive structures of some algae, moss spores and probably the aerial spores of other terrestrial cryptogamic taxa. The occurrence of desiccation tolerance in the seed plants is overwhelmingly in the aerial reproductive structures; the pollen and seed embryos. Spatially and temporally, pollen and embryos are close ontogenetic derivatives of the angiosperm microspores and megaspores respectively. This suggests that the desiccation tolerance of pollen and embryos derives from the desiccation tolerance of the spores of antecedent taxa and that the basic pollen/embryo mechanism of desiccation tolerance has eventually become expressed also in the vegetative tissue of certain angiosperm species whose drought avoidance is inadequate in microhabitats that suffer extremely xeric episodes. The protective compounds and processes that contribute to desiccation tolerance in angiosperms are found in the modern groups related to the evolutionary path leading to the angiosperms and are also present in the algae and in the cyanobacteria. The mechanism of desiccation tolerance in the angiosperms thus appears to have its origins in algal ancestors and possibly in the endosymbiotic cyanobacteria-related progenitor of chloroplasts and the bacteria-related progenitor of mitochondria. The mechanism may involve the regulation and timing of the accumulation of protective compounds and of other contributing substances and processes.

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“…The ability to tolerate severe dehydration, while not tolerating desiccation, appears to be common in mesic bryophytes. Interestingly, for the few mesic species that have been investigated, equilibration to water potentials of −100 MPa and lower (which would constitute true desiccation tolerance) can be achieved by the application of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) (Alpert and Oliver, 2002;Oliver, 2007). For example, protonemal cultures of the mesic moss Funaria hygrometrica can survive dehydration to approximately −70 MPa if water loss is slow but cannot survive if water loss is rapid (Werner et al, 1991).…”

Section: Desiccation Tolerance and Poikilohydrymentioning

confidence: 99%

PuttingPhyscomitrella patens on the Tree of Life: The Evolution and Ecology of Mosses

Mishler

Oliver

The MossPhyscomitrella Patens

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Abstract:Physcomitrella patens is an important model system for studies of genetics and physiology, and with its newly sequenced genome, it is perfectly placed phylogenetically to serve as a point of comparison for angiosperms. This chapter addresses three main questions: (1) How typical of a moss is P. patens? It is rather atypical, given the reasons that it was selected as a model system, such as its rapid life cycle and reduced morphology, yet it is representative in many ways. (2) Where does it belong in the phylogenetic history of land plants? The mosses are monophyletic, and share a common ancestor with hornworts and tracheophytes, with P. patens nesting within the 'true mosses'. (3) What are the special attributes of moss ecology and evolution that can lend special interest to the study of P. patens? When comparing P. patens with tracheophytes, it is important to understand both its similarities and differences with its larger cousins -we discuss how many processes influencing their physiology, ecology and evolutionary diversification seem to be quite different from the tracheophytes.

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Lessons on Dehydration Tolerance from Desiccation‐Tolerant Plants

Cited by 30 publications

References 168 publications

The resurrection plant Sporobolus stapfianus: An unlikely model for engineering enhanced plant biomass?

The resurrection plant Sporobolus stapfianus: An unlikely model for engineering enhanced plant biomass?

The evolution of desiccation tolerance in angiosperm plants: a rare yet common phenomenon

PuttingPhyscomitrella patens on the Tree of Life: The Evolution and Ecology of Mosses

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