Moisture stress-induced proline accumulation in ephemeral grasses from the arid zone of India

Exposure of arid zone vegetation to repeated moisture stress during the course of life cycle is a common phenomenon. In order to tide over the stress phase, plants make suitable morphological and physiological adaptations. Accumulation of free proline under water deficit is one such physiological response in majority of the add zone plants. Studies on fourteen grasses, eleven annuals and three perennials, reveal a multifold increase in free proline content from stress free to moisture stress conditions, whereas some well adapted grasses show insignificant amount of proline under similar conditions.