Reactivation of the Photosynthetic Apparatus of Resurrection Plant Haberlea rhodopensis during the Early Phase of Recovery from Drought- and Freezing-Induced Desiccation

Haberlea rhodopensis is a unique desiccation-tolerant angiosperm that also survives winter frost. As, upon freezing temperatures, H. rhodopensis desiccates, the taxon is proposed to survive low temperature stress using its desiccation tolerance mechanisms. To reveal the validity of this hypothesis, we analyzed the structural alterations and organization of photosynthetic apparatus during the first hours of recovery after drought- and freezing-induced desiccation. The dynamics of the ultrastructure remodeling in the mesophyll cells and the restoration of the thylakoid membranes shared similarities independent of the reason for desiccation. Among the most obvious changes in thylakoid complexes, the proportion of the PSI-LHCII complex strongly increased around 70% relative water content (RWC), whereas the proportion of Lhc monomers decreased from the beginning of rehydration. We identified enhanced levels of cyt b(6)f complex proteins that contributed to the enhanced electron flow. The high abundance of proteins related to excitation energy dissipation, PsbS, Lhcb5, Lhcb6 and ELIPs, together with the increased content of dehydrins contributed to the preservation of cellular integrity. ELIP expression was maintained at high levels up to 9 h into recovery. Although the recovery processes from drought- and freezing-induced desiccation were found to be similar in progress and time scale, slight variations indicate that they are not identical.

Automated summary

Haberlea rhodopensis is a unique desiccation-tolerant angiosperm that survives winter frost. This study reveals the structural alterations and organization of photosynthetic apparatus during recovery after drought- and freezing-induced desiccation, suggesting similar dynamics in remodeling and restoration. The findings also indicate the importance of certain proteins in maintaining cellular integrity and enhancing electron flow.