Vegetative desiccation tolerance of Tripogon spicatus (Poaceae) from the tropical semiarid region of northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The vegetative desiccation tolerance of Tripogon spicatus (Nees) Ekman was confirmed by its ability to recover the physiological functionality of intact plants previously subjected to extreme dehydration. Photosynthesis became undetectable when leaf relative water content (RWCleaf) achieved ~60%, whereas photochemical variables showed a partial decrease. Until the minimum RWCleaf of 6.41%, total chl decreased by 9%, and total carotenoids increased by 29%. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased by 57%, on average, during dehydration, but catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (APX) activities showed no significant differences throughout the experiment. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased by 151%, total leaf and root amino acids decreased by 62% and 77%, respectively, whereas leaf and root proline decreased by 40% and 61%, respectively, until complete desiccation. After rehydration, leaves completely recovered turgidity and total chl contents. Carotenoids and MDA remained high, whereas SOD was 60% lower than the measured average measured before dehydration. With the exception of root amino acid contents, total amino acids and proline concentrations recovered completely. Gas exchange and photochemical variables remained substantially higher 4 days after rehydration, compared with the control. Besides increasing MDA, the overall physiological results showed that membrane functionality was preserved, leading to the vegetative desiccation tolerance of T. spicatus during the dehydration–rehydration cycle.

Impact of Water Shortage on Soil and Plant Attributes in the Presence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi from a Harsh Environment

“…T. spicata plants can survive extreme dehydration, undergoing a reversible transition from a desiccated, metabolically inactive state to a hydrated, metabolically active state without suffering any permanent damage [ 22 ]. These plants harbour a unique microbial community which, combined with their physiological apparatus, gives them a drought-tolerance capacity [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

“…The AMF inoculum consisted of the rhizosphere soil of Tripogonella spicata (Nees) plants, the so-called resurrection grass, due to their surprising rehydration capacity after a drought period [ 33 , 34 ].…”

Low Carbon Technologies for Agriculture in Dryland: Brazilian Experience

“…Through the transcriptome and proteome analysis, associated with physiological studies, we seek to understand the genetic mechanisms of Tripogon spicatus adaptation to drought. The results of this research may contribute to the generation of biotechnological alternatives for the improvement of cultivated plants, through the identification of genes associated with stress tolerance [48].…”

Unravelling the community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with endemic plants from a neotropical dry forest

“…However, there are no studies on AMF communities associated with the bromeliad Neoglaziovia variegata (Arruda) Mez, endemic to the Caatinga biome, but there are studies showing its gastroprotective, antibacterial and acaricidal potential (Peixoto et Likewise, there are no studies investigating the AMF communities associated with Tripogonella spicata (Nees) P.M.Peterson & Romasch, belonging to the socalled resurrection plants. The term resurrection plant is due to its capacity to survive dehydration to an air-dried state for months, losing most of its cellular water, and quickly resume normal physiological activities after rehydration (Aidar et al 2017;Oliver et al 2020;Gechev et al 2021). In addition, other plant species belonging to the families Myrothamnaceae, Selaginellaceae, Velloziaceae, and Scrophulariaceae are also known as resurrection plants (Alam et al 2019).…”