Lipophilic Metabolites and Anatomical Acclimatization of Cleome amblyocarpa in the Drought and Extra-Water Areas of the Arid Desert of UAE

Abstract

Plants adapt to different environmental conditions by developing structural and metabolic mechanisms. In this study, anatomical features and lipophilic metabolites were investigated in Cleome amblyocarpa Barr. & Murb., Cleomaceae plants growing in the arid desert of United Arab Emirates (UAE) in either low-water or extra-water areas, which were caused by the surrounding road run-off. The plant showed the presence of shaggy-like trichomes. The plant also developed special mechanisms to ensure its survival via release of lipophilic metabolites. The lipophilic metabolites, stained red with Sudan III, were apparently released by glandular trichomes and idioblasts of the shoot and roots, respectively. The identified lipophilic metabolites included those required for drought tolerance, protection against pathogens invasion, and detoxification. Plants growing in the low-water area caused an increase in the production of lipophilic metabolites—in particular, hydrocarbons and terpenoids. The lipophilic metabolites are known to provide the plant with unique waxy surfaces that reduce water loss and avoid penetration by pathogens. The release of lipid metabolites and the presence of shaggy-like trichomes represented unique features of the species that have never been reported. The provided chemical ecology information can be extended for several plant-related applications, particularly including drought tolerance.

The Reactions of Photosynthetic Capacity and Plant Metabolites of Sedum hybridum L. in Response to Mild and Moderate Abiotic Stresses

“…Lipid metabolites, in addition to FAs and their esters, also include their reduced forms, including aldehydes, alkanes, ketones and alcohols, often part of cuticular waxes [ 62 , 63 ]. Varieties of alkane hydrocarbons, according to the literature, are widely produced by plants growing in areas with insufficient water supply [ 64 , 65 ]. In our experiment, an increased biosynthesis of some lipophilic alkane hydrocarbons, such as eicosane, heneicosane, tetracosane (with mild osmotic stress) ( Figure 4 ), nonacosane (with moderate osmotic stress), pentacosane (with mild osmotic and mild salt stress), tetratetracontane (with mild and moderate salt stress and under the influence of low positive temperature) was revealed ( Figure 4 , Table S2 ).…”

Combined Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis to Elucidate Salt Tolerance Strategies of the Halophyte Panicum antidotale Retz

“…Moreover, the enzymes involved in interconversions of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones increased in these plants. The produced lipophilic metabolites, such as 2-Naphthalenemethanol, have been shown to improve stress detoxification and tolerance ( Soliman et al, 2019 ). Though the transcript expression of caffeoyl-CoA O -methyltransferase and other enzymes which have a role in lignin polymerization, i.e., S -adenosylmethionine and trans -cinnamate 4-monooxygenases, increased at high salinity, their protein contents reflected a weak correlation.…”

Drought and Salinity Stress Responses and Microbe-Induced Tolerance in Plants

“…Lipophilic compounds are also sensitive to drought. The compounds involved in stress detoxification and tolerance, such as 2-naphthalene methanol, heneicosane, caryophyllene oxide, heptadecanal, tetratetracontane, heptatriacotanol, tetracosane, 1-heptacosanol, phytol, n-nonadecanol-1, n-pentadecanol, octacosyl acetate, octadecanoic acid, and hexatriacontane, increased significantly in response to water deficit (Soliman et al, 2019).…”