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Abstract
Lipids are fundamental components of cell membranes and play a significant role in their integrity and fluidity. Alteration in lipid composition of membranes has been reported to be a major response to abiotic environmental stresses. This work was focused on the characterization of frond lipid composition and membrane integrity during a desiccation–rehydration cycle of two filmy fern species with contrasting desiccation tolerance: Hymenophyllum caudiculatum (less tolerant) and Hymenophyllum plicatum (more tolerant). The relative water content decreased without differences between species when both filmy ferns were subjected to desiccation. However, H. plicatum reached a higher relative water content than H. caudiculatum after rehydration. Fatty acids profiles showed the presence of a very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid during the desiccation–rehydration cycle, with eicosatrienoic acid being the most abundant. Additionally, propidium iodide permeation staining and confocal microscopy demonstrated that, following the desiccation–rehydration cycle, H. plicatum exhibited a greater membrane integrity than H. caudiculatum. The lack of some very long chain fatty acids such as C22:1n9 and C24:1n9 in this species contrasting with H. plicatum may be associated with its lower membrane stability during the desiccation–rehydration cycle. This report provides the first insight into the fatty acid composition and dynamics of the membrane integrity of filmy ferns during a desiccation–rehydration cycle. This could potentially play a role in determining the different levels of desiccation tolerance and microhabitat preferences exhibited by Hymenophyllaceae species.
Highlights
Desiccation is severe water loss, when cellular water content becomes restricted to limits where even molecular hydration shells can be disturbed [1]
A typical response is a decrease in membrane lipid content [3,6], and this behavior has been correlated with the inhibition of lipid biosynthesis [7,8]
Fronds of H. caudiculatum and H. plicatum remained at 85% and 88% of Relative water content (RWC) respectively under well-watered conditions in the nursery
Summary
Desiccation is severe water loss, when cellular water content becomes restricted to limits where even molecular hydration shells can be disturbed [1]. Desiccation represents severe stress for living organisms, causing numerous injuries at the cellular and molecular levels, such as biological membranes [2]. Water is essential to maintain the stability and integrity of cellular membranes. Understanding how some species preserve membrane functionality in tissues and cells under desiccation events is of remarkable importance [3]. Fatty acids (FAs) in the lipid bilayers of cell membranes are responsible for much of its stability [5]. A typical response is a decrease in membrane lipid content [3,6], and this behavior has been correlated with the inhibition of lipid biosynthesis [7,8]
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