An international research team led by Wageningen University & Research in
the Netherlands has sequenced the genome of Xerophyta viscosa, also called
the ?resurrection plant.'

In their paper published in Nature Plants, the team reveals a genetic
?footprint' of the amazing ability of this plant to tolerate severe drought
for long periods of time. The team hopes their results will contribute to a
faster development of food crops that are resilient enough to cope with
foreseen global climate changes.

Maria-Cecília D. Costa and Mariana A. S. Artur of the Laboratory of Plant
Physiology of Wageningen University & Research studied desiccating plants
and the associated gene expression patterns. The team did not find a link
between genes active during desiccation and genes known for their activity
during drought-induced senescence. However, the team did find a link with
genes involved in seed ripening, a process that allows seeds to survive many
years of dry storage. According to Costa, these findings could mean that X.
viscosa acquired its desiccation tolerance from ancestors that evolved genes
that allow seeds to survive drying.



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