Desiccation tolerance mechanism in resurrection fern-ally Selaginella tamariscina revealed by physiological and proteomic analysis.

Drought is one of the most severe limitations to plant growth and productivity. Resurrection plants have evolved a unique capability to tolerate desiccation in vegetative tissues. Fern-ally Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) is one of the most primitive vascular resurrection plants, which can survive a desiccated state and recover when water becomes available. To better understand the mechanism of desiccation tolerance, we have applied physiological and proteomic analysis. Samples of S. tamariscina were water-deprived for up to seven days followed by 12 h of rewatering. Our results showed that endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) increased to regulate dehydration-responsive genes/proteins and physiological processes. In the course of dehydration, the contents of osmolytes represented by soluble sugars and proline were increased to maintain cell structure integrity. The activities of four antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR)) also increas...