Figure 7.

Variations in membrane fluidity in response to various abiotic stresses and acclimation processes. Drought affects the efficiency of water channels by increasing saturated fatty acyl chains and causing lipid peroxidation. Membrane rigidification occurs at low temperatures, while fluidization occurs at high temperatures. Plants acclimatize to drought by increasing their membrane lipid unsaturation levels to stabilize PM and activate their water channels (e.g., AQPs) to keep water moving through their cells. Plants adapt to high and low temperatures by decreasing and increasing membrane fluidity, respectively.