Evidence for the absence of enzymatic reactions in the glassy state. A case study of xanthophyll cycle pigments in the desiccation-tolerant moss Syntrichia ruralis.

ABSTRACT: Desiccation-tolerant plants are able to withstand dehydration and resume normal metabolic functions upon rehydration. These plants can be dehydrated until their cytoplasm enters a 'glassy state' in which molecular mobility is severely reduced. In desiccation-tolerant seeds, longevity can be enhanced by drying and lowering storage temperature. In these conditions, they still deteriorate slowly, but it is not known if deteriorative processes include enzyme activity. The storage stability of photosynthetic organisms is less studied, and no reports are available on the glassy state in photosynthetic tissues. Here, the desiccation-tolerant moss Syntrichia ruralis was dehydrated at either 75% or <5% relative humidity, resulting in slow (SD) or rapid desiccation (RD), respectively, and different

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Marin B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3697941 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature