ATP and ADP contents in leaves of drying and rehydrating desiccation tolerant plants.

All species of desiccation tolerant angiosperms studied conserved some ATP in air-dry viable leaves. Otherwise there was no uniformity of response to drying: ATP content remained high in some species, but fell markedly in the others. ATP levels stayed high in Boea hygroscopica and Borya constricta until relative water content fell below 30%. ATP content recovered in the first 2 h of rehydration in Boea, but recovery was gradual in Borya, taking more than 16 h.