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Differential longevities in desiccated anhydrobiotic plant systems
1The Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Integrative and Comparative Biology
|June 17, 2011
Summary
Desiccation tolerance in plants is linked to cytoplasm
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Biochemistry
- Ecology
Background:
- Desiccation tolerance is common in plant propagules like seeds and spores, but rare in vascular plants.
- Longevity in the desiccated state varies greatly, from days to decades.
- The glassy state of cytoplasm upon water loss is thought to increase viscosity and slow degradation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of hydrogen bonding and lipid composition in desiccation tolerance and longevity.
- To compare Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of dried anhydrobiotic plant propagules from different phyla.
Main Methods:
- Comparative Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
- Analysis of dried anhydrobiotic plant propagules from diverse phyla.
Main Results:
- Strong hydrogen bonding did not correlate with extended lifespan; it depends on glass-forming compounds.
- A high number of double bonds in polar lipid acyl chains correlated with shorter lifespans.
- Membrane deterioration, not glassy cytoplasm, appears to determine aging rates in dried propagules.
Conclusions:
- Lipid phase susceptibility to free radical attack is a key factor in the aging of dried anhydrobiotic propagules.
- Membrane integrity is crucial for longevity in desiccated plant tissues.
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