In an effort to define the nature of desiccation tolerance, a comparison of the water sorption characteristics was made between tissues that were resistant and tissues that were sensitive to desiccation. Water sorption isotherms were constructed for germinated and ungerminated soybean axes and also for fronds of several species of Polypodium with varying tolerance to dehydration. The strength...

We report a study on the presence of the disaccharide trehalose in three desiccation tolerant tardigrades. This sugar has long been suggested to play a protective role in desiccation tolerant animals. Trehalose was found in all species, with increased levels in dehydrated specimens of Macrobiotus islandicus, and possibly also in Macrobiotus krynauwi, both belonging to the family Macrobiotidae. ...

The focus of the current project was to establish somatic embryogenesis protocols for the tropical pine species Pinus oocarpa using immature zygotic embryos (ZEs) as explants. Somatic embryogenesis is best supported by mimicking natural seed-embryo developmental conditions, through a tissue culture medium formulation based on the mineral content of the seed nutritive tissue [megagametophyte (MG...

Desiccation and high salinity are two abiotic stressors that related in terms of their effect on water homeostasis within cells. The success certain aeroterrestrial microalgae is influenced by ability to cope with desiccation, some cases, salinity. the Stichococcus clade ubiquitous terrestrial habitats known withstand desiccation stress accumulating secondary metabolites. Nevertheless, it remai...

background: successful embryo transfer (et) technique is a fateful step of all efforts to achieve live births from in vitro produced embryos in assisted reproductive techniques or in knockout, transgenic or cloned animal projects. small reproductive tract of mice and limitation of current techniques may not well satisfy the requirements for mass production of genetically modified mice. genetic ...

Drying to equilibrium with the air is lethal to most species of animals and plants, making drought (i.e., low external water potential) a central problem for terrestrial life and a major cause of agronomic failure and human famine. Surprisingly, a wide taxonomic variety of animals, microbes, and plants do tolerate complete desiccation, defined as water content below 0.1 g H(2)O g(-1) dry mass. ...

A series of experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of rapid desiccation with dry heat at one or two points in the slaughter process to reduce bacterial contamination on beef carcass surfaces. In the first set of experiments, several combinations of desiccation and water washes were examined. Beef surfaces were inoculated with bovine feces and water washed (IW; 125 psi, 15 s, ...

Energy availability can limit the ability of organisms to survive under stressful conditions. In Drosophila, laboratory experiments have revealed that energy storage patterns differ between populations selected for desiccation and starvation. This suggests that flies may use different sources of energy when exposed to these stresses, but the actual substrates used have not been examined. We mea...

A number of defined desiccation treatments without low temperature exposure were able to induce freezing tolerance in 20 cultivars of winter cereals. A maximal degree of freezing tolerance was induced in epicotyls at 24 degrees C in 24 hours at 40% relative humidity in rye and wheat, 7 days at 54% RH in barley, and 4 days at 70% RH in oats. Freezing tolerance was not correlated to water content...