Two Decades of Desiccation Biology: A Systematic Review of the Best Studied Angiosperm Resurrection Plants

Abstract

Resurrection plants have an extraordinary ability to survive extreme water loss but still revive full metabolic activity when rehydrated. These plants are useful models to understand the complex biology of vegetative desiccation tolerance. Despite extensive studies of resurrection plants, many details underlying the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance remain unexplored. To summarize the progress in resurrection plant research and identify unexplored questions, we conducted a systematic review of 15 model angiosperm resurrection plants. This systematic review provides an overview of publication trends on resurrection plants, the geographical distribution of species and studies, and the methodology used. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta–Analyses protocol we surveyed all publications on resurrection plants from 2000 and 2020. This yielded 185 empirical articles that matched our selection criteria. The most investigated plants were Craterostigma plantagineum (17.5%), Haberlea rhodopensis (13.7%), Xerophyta viscosa (reclassified as X. schlechteri) (11.9%), Myrothamnus flabellifolia (8.5%), and Boea hygrometrica (8.1%), with all other species accounting for less than 8% of publications. The majority of studies have been conducted in South Africa, Bulgaria, Germany, and China, but there are contributions from across the globe. Most studies were led by researchers working within the native range of the focal species, but some international and collaborative studies were also identified. The number of annual publications fluctuated, with a large but temporary increase in 2008. Many studies have employed physiological and transcriptomic methodologies to investigate the leaves of resurrection plants, but there was a paucity of studies on roots and only one metagenomic study was recovered. Based on these findings we suggest that future research focuses on resurrection plant roots and microbiome interactions to explore microbial communities associated with these plants, and their role in vegetative desiccation tolerance.

Core cellular and tissue‐specific mechanisms enable desiccation tolerance in Craterostigma

“…Complete bacterial genomes have homology to well‐characterized plant endophytic and rhizosphere species as well as several growth‐promoting species (Mayer et al., 2019; Quecine et al., 2012). Craterostigma plants were propagated on soilless media, and these microbiome constituents likely play important roles in plant health and possible desiccation tolerance (Tebele et al., 2021).…”

The complex octoploid Craterostigma genome and tissue-specific mechanisms underlying desiccation tolerance

“…Complete bacterial genomes have homology to well-characterized plant endophytic and rhizosphere species as well as several growth promoting species (20, 21). Craterostigma plants were propagated on soilless media and these microbiome constituents likely play important roles in plant health and possible desiccation tolerance (22).…”

Protein Changes in Shade and Sun Haberlea rhodopensis Leaves during Dehydration at Optimal and Low Temperatures

“…Haberlea rhodopensis is the second most investigated taxon among resurrection plants after the tropical Craterostigma plantagineum according to the number of published studies so far [ 33 ], but proteome-level investigations, in particular on the stress-induced proteins, are scarce. In this study, we applied targeted and untargeted analyses related to dehydration including shade and sun ecotypes of H. rhodopensis .…”