The late embryogenesis abundant (LEA)-like protein CDeT11-24 is one of the major desiccation-related phosphoproteins of the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum. In this study, it was shown that CDeT11-24 is mostly intrinsically disordered and protects two different enzymes, citrate synthase and lactate dehydrogenase, against damaging effects caused by desiccation. Lipid-binding assays...

Desiccation tolerance has evolved recurrently across diverse land plant lineages as an adaptation for survival in regions where seasonal rainfall drives periodic drying of vegetative tissues. Growing interest this phenomenon fueled recent physiological, biochemical, and genomic insights into the mechanistic basis desiccation tolerance. Although, is often viewed binary monolithic, substantial va...

Twenty percent of of the world's flowering plants produce recalcitrant seeds (i.e., seeds that cannot withstand drying or freezing). We investigated whether the embryonic axis from the normally recalcitrant seeds of silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) can be made tolerant to desiccation (10% water content) and low temperature (-196 degrees C, cryopreservation) by pretreatment with ABA or the com...

An open, continuous flow system was used to investigate ethylene production during degreening of maturing seed of mustard (Brassica juncea cv Cutlass and cv Lethbridge 22A) and canola (Brassica napus cv Westar and cv Alto). Isolated mustard seed evolved higher amounts of ethylene than those of canola, and this was particularly evident both early in embryogeny and later during the desiccation ph...

We evaluate experimentally the effect of a sequential disturbance-desiccation-on the structure and dynamics of a periphytic algal community in a semilotic environment of the Upper Paraná River floodplain. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of recurrent disturbances have a direct negative effect on the attributes of the periphyton community. The sequential effect of desiccation on the pe...

This paper presents the evaluation of cytoprotective ability of trehalose-based eye drops in comparison with commercially available preparations during the experimental desiccation of cultured human corneal epithelial cells. Cultured human corneal epithelial cells (hCEC) underwent incubation with 7 different, commercially available medicaments used commonly in dry eye syndrome treatment, follow...

The ability of entomopathogenic nematodes to tolerate environmental stress such as desiccating or freezing conditions, can contribute significantly to biocontrol efficacy. Thus, in selecting which nematode to use in a particular biocontrol program, it is important to be able to predict which strain or species to use in target areas where environmental stress is expected. Our objectives were to ...

Methanogenic archaea have been studied as model organisms for possible life on Mars for several reasons: they can grow lithoautotrophically by using hydrogen and carbon dioxide as energy and carbon sources, respectively; they are anaerobes; and they evolved at a time when conditions on early Earth are believed to have looked similar to those of early Mars. As Mars is currently dry and cold and ...

In the recent medical literature, there has been an almost uninterrupted flow of papers describing new methods of desiccation, or introducing some modifications in old methods. It is not the purpose of this paper to describe a new method of desiccation, but to stress certain technical details and amplify certain procedures which it is hoped will be found useful in any method finally selected by...