Metabolomic Analysis of the Desert Moss Syntrichia caninervis Provides Insights into Plant Dehydration and Rehydration Response.

This article focuses on the metabolic responses of the desiccation-tolerant (DT) desert moss Syntrichia caninervis during dehydration and rehydration. Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, the study identified 912 metabolites across 93 classes, revealing that most metabolite accumulation occurs rapidly during rehydration rather than dehydration, contrasting with patterns seen in vascular DT plants. Key findings include the accumulation of nitrogenous amino acids, antioxidants, and cytoprotective metabolites during dehydration, and a swift increase in metabolites such as γ-aminobutyric acid, flavonoids, and plant hormones (12-oxo phytodienoic acid and trans-zeatin riboside) during rehydration, which likely support oxidative stress mitigation and cellular repair. The results suggest that S. caninervis employs distinct metabolic strategies for dehydration tolerance and rehydration recovery, providing insights into plant adaptation mechanisms to extreme drought stress.