MULTI-OMICS INSIGHTS INTO THE EVOLUTION OF ANGIOSPERM RESURRECTION PLANTS

A small group of angiosperms possess vegetative desiccation tolerance (VDT). This unique ability allows them to withstand near total loss of cellularwater and recover unharmed upon rehydration. Recently, omics technologies have begun to give greater insight into the mechanisms that regulate VDT. Several angiosperm resurrection plant genomes, from both monocot and eudicot lineages, have been sequenced in the past decade. Multiple transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of desiccation and rehydration in resurrection plants have emphasised the importance and ubiquity of known VDT responses, such as the induction of late embryogenesis abundants (LEAs), sugars, and antioxidants. These studies have also confirmed the similarity between VDT and the process of orthodox seed maturation drying, and highlighted the connection between embryonic, seedling, and vegetative DT. However, the exact genes and pathways that regulate the acquisition of seed traits in leaves remain elusive. This article attempts to integrate what is currently understood about the evolution and regulation of VDT in angiosperm resurrection plants, drawing from the rapidly growing collection of omics datasets derived from these species. The limits of current knowledge, future research perspectives, and the utility of VDT research as a resource for the improvement of drought tolerance in crop species are also discussed.