| Popis: |
Vegetative desiccation tolerance is rare, occurring in approximately only 0.04% of angiosperms. Such species survive extreme water loss to the air-dry state, remaining quiescent until rehydration, upon which metabolism is rapidly recovered in existing tissues. In many desiccation-tolerant species, sucrose levels increase considerably during dehydration, and this extensive accumulation has typically been attributed to cytoplasmic vitrification. However, an equally compelling explanation for the role of large-scale sugar accumulation during desiccation could be attributed to NADES formation. Recent high-resolution metabolomics studies on desiccation-tolerant plants have noted increased organic acids and amino acids during dehydration, which together with sugar accumulation implies the existence of NADES. In this chapter we explore the circumstantial evidence for cytoplasmic and organellar NADES formation during dehydration, evaluating the role of this mechanism in the concentration and stability of crucial cellular components, which would ultimately contribute to both survival at low cellular water contents and subsequent revival of tissues. |
