Desiccation Tolerance Mechanisms in Terrestrial Plants

Desiccation tolerance in terrestrial plants encompasses a suite of interrelated physiological, biochemical and molecular strategies that permit survival through near-total cellular water loss. Central to this phenomenon are resurrection plants—specialised angiosperms and bryophytes that enter a quiescent, air-dried state and subsequently recover full function upon rehydration. At the cellular level, membrane and protein stabilisation is achieved by accumulation of osmolytes such as sucrose, trehalose and raffinose family oligosaccharides, together with late embryogenesis abundant proteins and antioxidants that scavenge reactive oxygen species. Regulatory networks orchestrate these responses: stress-responsive transcription factors activate suites of genes encoding protective proteins and enzymes, while multi-omics studies reveal coordinated shifts in transcriptomes, proteomes and metabolomes during dehydration–rehydration cycles. In many species, a vitrified cytoplasm forms in the dried state, preserving macromolecular integrity. Comparative analyses between desiccation-tolerant and sensitive relatives have highlighted both constitutive priming mechanisms—such as elevated baseline levels of protective metabolites—and inducible processes that fine-tune protection as water content declines. The integration of physiological insights with genome-scaled data is driving translational efforts to engineer drought resilience in crops, a priority against the backdrop of climate change and global food security.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Desiccation Tolerance Mechanisms in Terrestrial Plants publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in desiccation tolerance mechanisms in terrestrial plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Resurrection plants: Vascular angiosperms or bryophytes capable of surviving extreme dehydration and resuming normal metabolism upon rehydration.

Osmolytes: Small organic molecules (for example sugars and amino acids) that stabilise proteins and membranes under water deficit.

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins: Hydrophilic proteins that accumulate during late seed development and in vegetative tissues under desiccation, preventing aggregation of cellular components.

Vitrification: Glassy or amorphous state of the cytoplasm in desiccated cells that immobilises macromolecules and prevents denaturation.

References

1. A review of the role of metabolites in vegetative desiccation tolerance of angiosperms. Current Opinion in Plant Biology (2023).
2. Desiccation tolerance in resurrection plants: new insights from transcriptome, proteome and metabolome analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science (2013).
3. A molecular physiological review of vegetative desiccation tolerance in the resurrection plant Xerophyta viscosa (Baker). Planta (2015).