Lessepsian migration of cardinalfishes (Teleostei, Apogonidae)

O. Gon, D. Golani
2008 South African Journal of Botany  
Vegetative tissues of resurrection plants are desiccation tolerant (DT), drying to 5% water content and recovering full metabolism on rehydration. Mechanisms of DT vary among the orders; bryophytes suffer damage during drying but repair it on rehydration whereas in angiosperms extensive protection is accumulated so that little repair is required. Little is known about mechanisms of DT in pteridophytes and the present study was undertaken to characterize them in the resurrection fern Mohria
more » ... orum. Plants were collected from Table Mountain , Western Cape, during dry and rainy seasons. Ultrastructural, biochemical and physiological data were collected during plant drying and rehydration. Plants collected in the dry season were DT and those collected in the rainy season were DS, a phenomenon reported here for the first time. Tolerant fronds acquired protection mechanisms during drying that are mostly similar to those reported for angiosperms. These included 1) frond curling and presence of abaxial scales that masked chlorophyll and minimized free radical injury; 2) increased anti-oxidant capacity that was maintained in dry tissues; 3) mechanical stabilization of vacuoles in the dry state; 4) de novo production of heat stable (potential LEA-like) proteins; 5) accumulation of protective carbohydrates (sucrose, raffinose family oligosaccharides and cyclitols).
doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2008.01.058 fatcat:yybrzg7oefbrfnm67mj4ugl3fq