Comparisons of the resurrection grass, Eragrostis nindensis, with the related desiccation-sensitive species, E. curvula

Bibliography: leaves 100-133.Desiccation tolerance of the inner leaves of Eragrostis nindensis is compared with the desiccation sensitivity of the outer leaves, as well as those of the closely related species, E. curvula. Both E. nindensis and E. curvula dehydrate to a relative water content (RWC) ofless than 5% in two weeks. Photosynthetic activity in E. curvula is maintained down to 40% RWC, after which further drying results in a sudden irreversible breakdown of the photosynthetic system and its pigments

Retention of mobile water during dehydration in the desiccation-tolerant grass Eragrostis nindensis

Leaf tensile strength was measured for the drought-tolerant grass Eragrostis curvula and the desiccation-tolerant grass E. nindensis when fully hydrated, partially dehydrated, naturally air-dried, and flash-dried. Leaf tensile strength increased in intact, air-dried leaves of E. curvula but not for similarly treated leaves of E. nindensis. Examination of leaf cross-sections by light microscopy and histochemical staining for lignins failed to show any significant structural differences between the two species in the hydrated state. When leaves were flash-dried, the tensile strength of E. curvula remained unchanged from leaves dried naturally, while there was a marked increase in the tensile strength of flash-dried leaves of E. nindensis. Proton NMR indicated that the desiccation-tolerant E. nindensis retained mobile water when leaf relative water content was less than 20% if dried naturally but not if flash-dried, whereas no mobile water was detected in leaves of E. curvula when dried either naturally or with flash-drying to below 20% relative water content. This behaviour suggests a fundamental difference in strategy for surviving water loss in vegetative tissues between desiccation-tolerant species and drought-tolerant species

Anomalous pressure volume curves of resurrection plants do not suggest negative turgor.

Pressure-volume (PV) curves of the desiccation-tolerant angiosperms, Eragrostis nindensis, Craterostigma wilmsii and Xerophyta humilis, and the desiccation-sensitive species, E. curvula, were compared. The shape of curves for E. nindensis and C. wilmsii differed from the usual curvilinear form. Over the relative water content (RWC) range of approx. 70 to 25%, PV curves indicated water potentials higher than directly measured water activity on frozen-thawed tissue. Anatomical studies showed considerable cell wall folding and a consequent reduction in cell volume in these two species; this was not seen in X. humilis or E. curvula which showed normal PV curves. It is suggested that this wall folding may have prevented the development of negative turgor and physical stress in the cells, and contributed to desiccation tolerance. Copyright 2001 Annals of Botany Company

Some physiological comparisons between the resurrection grass, Eragrostis nindensis, and the related desiccation-sensitive species, E. curvula

Both the poikilochlorophyllous resurrection grass, Eragrostis nindensis, and the desiccation sensitive species, E. curvula, dehydrate to a relative water content (RWC) of less than 5% in two weeks. On rewatering, most E. nindensis leaves (except the older, outer ones) rehydrate and resume normal metabolic activity within a few days, whereas E. curvula does not recover. There is a controlled loss of photosynthetic pigments, paralleled with a gradual shutdown in gas exchange during dehydration of E. nindensis. On rehydration respiration resumes almost immediately but photosynthesis only restarts at 70% RWC by which time chlorophyll has been resynthesised and anthocyanin content reduced. In contrast, photosynthetic activity in E. curvula is maintained down to 40% RWC, after which further drying results in a sudden breakdown of the photosynthetic system and its pigments. At this point, electrolyte leakage and increases FV/FM decreases such that below ca. 40% RWC, metabolism is irreparably damaged. Interestingly, the older outer leaf in most tillers of E. nindensis does not rehydrate. These leaves show signs of membrane damage and curl in an irregular manner similar to those of E. curvula during dehydration.</p

2004. Mechanical stabilization of desiccated vegetative tissues of the resurrection grass Eragrostis nindensis: Does a TIP 3;1 and/or compartmentalization of subcellular components and metabolites play a role

Abstract During dehydration, numerous metabolites accumulate in vegetative desiccation-tolerant tissues. This is thought to be important in mechanically stabilizing the cells and membranes in the desiccated state. Non-aqueous fractionation of desiccated leaf tissues of the resurrection grass Eragrostis nindensis (Ficalho and Hiern) provided an insight into the subcellular localization of the metabolites (because of the assumptions necessary in the calculations the data must be treated with some caution). During dehydration of the desiccant-tolerant leaves, abundant small vacuoles are formed in the bundle sheath cells, while cell wall folding occurs in the thin-walled mesophyll and epidermal cells, leading to a considerable reduction in the cross-sectional area of these cells. During dehydration, proline, protein, and sucrose accumulate in similar proportions in the small vacuoles in the bundle sheath cells. In the mesophyll cells high amounts of sucrose accumulate in the cytoplasm, with proline and proteins being present in both the cytoplasm and the large central vacuole. In addition to the replacement of water by compatible solutes, high permeability of membranes to water may be critical to reduce the mechanical strain associated with the in¯ux of water on rehydration. The immunolocalization of a possible TIP 3;1 to the small vacuoles in the bundle sheath cells may be important in both increased water permeability as well as in the mobilization of solutes from the small vacuoles on rehydration. This is the ®rst report of a possible TIP 3;1 in vegetative tissues (previously only reported in orthodox seeds)

Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw

Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw. is a desiccation-tolerant (‘ resurrection’) plant with a woody stem. Xylem vessels are narrow (14 µm mean diameter) and perforation plates are reticulate. This leads to specific and leaf specific hydraulic conductivities that are amongst the lowest recorded for angiosperms (ks 0±87 kg m−" MPa−" s−"; kl 3±28¬10−& kg m−" MPa−" s−", stem diameter 3 mm). Hydraulic conductivities decrease with increasing pressure gradient. Transpiration rates in well watered plants were moderate to low, generating xylem water potentials of ®1 to ®2 MPa. Acoustic emissions indicated extensive cavitation events that were initiated at xylem water potentials of ®2 to ®3 MPa. The desiccation-tolerant nature of the tissue permits this species to survive this interruption of the water supply. On rewatering the roots pressures that were developed were low (2±4 kPa). However capillary forces were demonstrated to be adequate to account for the refilling of xylem vessels and re-establishment of hydraulic continuity even when water was under a tension of ®8 kPa. During dehydration and rehydration cycles stems showed considerable shrinking and swelling. Unusual knob-like structures of unknown chemical composition were observed on the outer surface of xylem vessels. These may be related to the ability of the stem to withstand the mechanical stresses associated with this shrinkage and swelling

Minireview - Physiological and molecular insights into drought tolerance

Water is a major limiting factor in world agriculture. In general, most crop plants are highly sensitive to even a mild dehydration stress. There are however, a few genera of plants unique to Southern Africa, called “resurrection plants” which can tolerate extreme water loss or desiccation. We have used Xerophyta viscosa, a representative of the monocotyledonous resurrection plants to isolate genes that are associated with osmotic stress tolerance. Several genes that are differentially expressed, and that confer functional sufficiency to osmotically-stressed Escherichia coli are being studied at the molecular and biochemical levels. In this review, we use this as a basis to discuss the physiological and molecular insights into drought tolerance