Laboratory of Plant Cell and Developmental Biology, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; email:
Annu Rev Genet. 2024 Nov;58(1):91-112. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-111523-102338.
Deserts are hostile environments to plant life due to exposure to abiotic stresses, including high temperature, heat, high light, low water availability, and poor soil quality. Desert plants have evolved to cope with these stresses, and for thousands of years humans have used these plants as sources of food, fiber, and medicine. Due to desertification, the amount of arable land is reduced every year; hence, the usage of these species as substitutes for some crops might become one of the solutions for food production and land remediation. Additionally, increasing our understanding of how these plants have adapted to their environment could aid in the generation of more resistant staple crops. In this review, we examine three desert plant species and discuss their developmental aspects, physiological adaptations, and genetic diversity and the related genomic resources available to date. We also address major environmental challenges and threats faced by these species as well as their potential use for improving food security through stimulating stress resistance in crops.
沙漠是植物生命的恶劣环境，因为它们会受到非生物胁迫的影响，包括高温、炎热、高光、低水分可用性和贫瘠的土壤质量。沙漠植物已经进化到可以应对这些压力，几千年来，人类一直将这些植物作为食物、纤维和药物的来源。由于沙漠化，每年可耕地的面积都在减少；因此，这些物种的使用可能成为粮食生产和土地修复的替代方案之一。此外，增加我们对这些植物如何适应其环境的了解，可以帮助我们培育出更具抗性的主要作物。在这篇综述中，我们研究了三种沙漠植物物种，并讨论了它们的发育方面、生理适应以及遗传多样性，以及迄今为止可用的相关基因组资源。我们还讨论了这些物种所面临的主要环境挑战和威胁，以及它们通过刺激作物的抗逆性来提高粮食安全的潜在用途。
