Ties between Stress and Lipid Droplets Pre-date Seeds

Abstract

Seeds were a key evolutionary innovation. These durable structures provide a concerted solution to two challenges on land: dispersal and stress. Lipid droplets (LDs) that act as nutrient storage reservoirs are one of the main cell-biological reasons for seed endurance. Although LDs are key structures in spermatophytes and are especially abundant in seeds, they are found across plants and algae, and increase during stress. Further, the proteins that underpin their form and function often have deep homologs. We propose an evolutionary scenario in which (i) the generation of LDs arose as a mechanism to mediate general drought and desiccation resilience, and (ii) the required protein framework was co-opted by spermatophytes for a seed-specific program.

Keywords: evo-devo; lipid droplet-associated proteins; lipid droplets; plant evolution; plant terrestrialization; stress physiology.