Ultrastructural and biochemical analyses reveal cell wall remodelling in lichen-forming microalgae submitted to cyclic desiccation-rehydration.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

One of the most distinctive features of desiccation-tolerant plants is their high cell wall (CW) flexibility. Most lichen microalgae can tolerate drastic dehydration-rehydration (D/R) conditions; however, their mechanisms of D/R tolerance are scarcely understood. We tested the hypothesis that D/R-tolerant microalgae would have flexible CWs due to species-specific CW ultrastructure and biochemical composition, which could be remodelled by exposure to cyclic D/R.

Methods

Two lichen microalgae, Trebouxia sp. TR9 (TR9, adapted to rapid D/R cycles) and Coccomyxa simplex (Csol, adapted to seasonal dry periods) were exposed to no or four cycles of desiccation [25-30 % RH (TR9) or 55-60 % RH (Csol)] and 16 h of rehydration (100 % RH). Low-temperature SEM, environ

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Hourcade M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7061176 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature