HONG KONG: A native Australian grass that “plays dead” during droughts and selectively culls its own cells to survive could provide genetic keys to help world food crops like chickpea withstand global climate change.
QUT researchers have been studying the native grass, Tripogon loliiformis, because of its amazing ability to survive extreme environmental stresses.
Like other so-called ‘resurrection plants’, the grass has the ability to withstand desiccation (being dried out) for prolonged periods but can be revived by water.
But scientists have never known how these plants actually do it – or if the existing plant cells really do come alive again from a dormant state, or if its new growth is separate from the old cells.
In a paper published today (December 4, Brisbane time) in PLOS Genetics, QUT scientists Professor Sagadevan Mundree, Dr Brett Williams and their fellow researchers have proved sugar manipulation and the controlled sacrifice of cells are keys to the native grass’s survival.
Previous experiments elsewhere had found that even after losing over 95 per cent of its relative water content, the dead-looking outback Queensland grass was still alive and pre-existing tissues again flourished when provided with water.
