TITLE:
Physiological Response of the Resurrection Fern Subjected to Environmental Stress as Shown by Plant Cell Membrane Integrity
AUTHORS:
Carly Balsam, Ed Bush
KEYWORDS:
Adaptive Mechanisms, Plant Stress, Plant Cell Wall, Cell Leakage
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.13 No.8,
August
11,
2022
ABSTRACT:
Resurrection fern has a unique
ability to maintain cell wall integrity when the plant cell is desiccated. It
uses proteins such as late embryogenesis proteins and heat shock proteins to
maintain their cellular functions. The purpose of this experiment is to
determine the effects of environmental stressors on the physiological response
of the resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides). The physiological response
of resurrection fern plants was subjected to various temperatures (-50°C,
0°C, 25°C, and 50°C) for 7 days. Results indicated that
there was a significant difference between hydrated and desiccated ferns based on the temperature. Additionally,
electrolyte leakage measurements confirmed cell damage following
exposure to temperature extremes of -50°C and 50°C.