A comparative genomics examination of desiccation tolerance and sensitivity in two sister grass species
Ricardo A. Chávez Montes, Anna Haber, Jeremy Pardo, Robyn F. Powell, Upendra K. Divisetty, Anderson Tadeu Silva, Tania Hernández‐Hernández, Vanildo Silveira, Haibao Tang, Eric Lyons, Luís Herrera‐Estrella, Robert VanBuren, Melvin J. Oliver
Abstract
Significance This is a significant sister group contrast comparative study of the underpinning genomics and evolution of desiccation tolerance (DT), a critical trait in the evolution of land plants. Our results revealed that the DT grass Sporobolus stapfianus is transcriptionally primed to tolerate a dehydration/desiccation event and that the desiccation response in the DT S. stapfianus is distinct from the water stress response of the desiccation-sensitive Sporobolus pyramidalis . Our results also show that the desiccation response is largely unique, indicating a recent evolution of this trait within the angiosperms, and that inhibition of senescence during dehydration is likely critical in rendering a plant desiccation tolerant.