Abstract
Gene expression during artificially induced senescence of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves was examined by in-vitro translation and mRNA hybridization with several copy-DNA (cDNA) clones for newly induced transcripts. When detached barley leaves were incubated in darkness, senescence symptoms as indicated by chlorophyll loss were rapidly induced. By in-vitro translation, concomitant changes in translatable mRNA levels were shown to occur with some translation products decreasing and others increasing in abundance. For closer analysis, cDNA clones for newly induced transcripts were isolated by differential screening. Six cDNA clones, derived from three different transcripts were identified and classified according to the expression of the respective mRNAs. Two of the three transcripts showed very similar expression patterns: in detached leaves they were induced by abscisic acid and inhibited by kinetin. They were also induced by wounding and osmotic stress, but could not be detected in naturally senescing leaves. The third mRNA, represented by only one of the six cDNA clones, behaved differently. There was no significant effect of hormone application, wounding or drought conditions, but the transcript accumulated during natural senescence of barley flag leaves. We conclude that only a minor part of the mRNA changes observed during dark incubation of detached leaves is connected with leaf senescence, whereas stress-related transcripts appear to predominate quantitatively.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ABA:
-
abscisic acid
- cDNA:
-
copy DNA
References
Andresen, I., Becker, W., Schlüter, K., Parthier, B., Apel, K. (1992) The identification of leaf thionins as one of the main jasmonateinduced proteins of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plant Mol. Biol. 19, 193–204
Aviv, H., Leder, P. (1972) Purification of biologically active messenger RNA by chromatography on oligothymidilic acid-cellulose. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 69, 1408–1412
Azumi, Y., Watanabe, A. (1991) Evidence for senescence-associated gene induced by darkness. Plant Physiol. 95, 577–583
Becker, W., Apel, K. (1992) Isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone encoding a novel jasmonate-induced protein of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plant Mol. Biol. 19, 1065–1067
Berry-Lowe, S.L., McKnight, T.D., Shah, D.M., Meagher, R.B. (1982) The nucleotide sequence, expression, and evolution of one member of a multigene family encoding the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase in soybean. J. Mol. Appl. Genet. 1, 483–498
Chirgwin, J.N., Przybyla, A.E., MacDonald, R.J., Rutter, W.J. (1979) Isolation of biologically active ribonucleic acid from sources enriched in ribonucleases. Biochemistry 18, 5294–5299
Davies, K.M., Grierson, D. (1989) Identification of cDNA clones for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) mRNAs that accumulate during fruit ripening and leaf senescence in response to ethylene. Planta 179, 73–80
Farmer, E.E., Ryan, C.A. (1990) Interplant communication: airborne methyl jasmonate induces synthesis of proteinase inhibitors in plant leaves. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 7713–7716
Gubler, U., Hoffman, B.J. (1983) A simple and very efficient method for generating cDNA libraries. Gene 25, 263–269
Kamachi, K., Yamaya, T., Mae, T., Ojima, K. (1991) A role for glutamine synthetase in the remobilization of leaf nitrogen during natural senescence in rice leaves. Plant Physiol. 96, 411–417
Kasemir, H., Rosemann, D., Oelmüller, R. (1988) Changes in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and its translatable small subunit mRNA levels during senescence of mustard (Sinapis alba) cotyledons. Physiol. Plant. 73, 257–264
Kawakami, N., Watanabe, A. (1988a) Change in gene expression in radish cotyledons during dark-induced senescence. Plant Cell Physiol. 29, 33–42
Kawakami, N., Watanabe, A. (1988b) Effects of light illumination on the population of translatable mRNA in radish cotyledons during dark-induced senescence. Plant Cell Physiol. 29, 347–353
Kawakami, N., Watanabe, A. (1988c) Senescence-specific increase in cytosolic glutamine synthetase and its mRNA in radish cotyledons. Plant Physiol. 88, 1430–1434
Landolt, R., Matile, P. (1990) Glyoxysome-like microbodies in senescent spinach leaves. Plant Sci. 72, 159–163
Lauriére, C. (1983) Enzymes and leaf senescence. Physiol. Veg. 21, 1159–1177
Leopold, A.C. (1961) Senescence in plant development. The death of plants or plant parts may be of positive ecological or physiological value. Science 134, 1727–1732
Logemann, J., Schell, J. (1989) Nucleotide sequence and regulated expression of a wound-inducible potato gene (wun1). Mol. Gen. Genet. 219, 81–88
Makrides, S.C., Goldthwaite, J. (1981) Biochemical changes during bean leaf growth, maturity and senescence. Content of DNA, polyribosomes, ribosomal RNA, protein and chlorophyll. J. Exp. Bot. 32, 725–735
Malik, N.S.A. (1987) Senescence in oat leaves: changes in translatable mRNAs. Physiol. Plant. 70, 438–446
Melzer, S., Majewski, D.M., Apel, K. (1990) Early changes in gene expression during the transition from vegetative to generative growth in the long-day plant Sinapis alba. Plant Cell. 2, 953–961
Noodén, L. (1988a) The phenomena of senescence and aging. In: Senescence and aging in plants, pp. 2–50, Noodén, L.D., Leopold, A.C., eds. Academic Press, San Diego
Noodén, L. (1988b) Abscisic acid, auxin and other regulators of senescence. In: Senescence and aging in plants, pp. 330–386, Noodén, L.D., Leopold, A.C. eds. Academic Press, San Diego
O'Farell, P.H. (1975) High resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 259, 4007–4021
Parthier, B. (1990) Jasmonates: hormonal regulators or stress factors in leaf senescence? J. Plant Growth Regul. 9, 57–63
Peña-Cortez, H., Sánchez-Serrano, J.J., Mertens, R., Willmitzer, L., Prat, S. (1989) Abscisic acid is involved in the wound-induced expression of the proteinase inhibitor II gene in potato and tomato. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 9851–9855
Pistelli, L., De Bellis, L., Alpi, A. (1991) Peroxisomal activities in attached senescing leaves. Planta 184, 151–153
Skadsen, R.W., Cherry, J.H. (1983) Quantitative changes in in vitro and in vivo protein synthesis in aging and rejuvenated soybean cotyledons. Plant Physiol. 71, 861–868
Skriver, K., Mundy, J. (1990) Gene expression in response to abscisic and osmotic stress. Plant Cell. 2, 503–512
Smart, C.M., Scofield, S.R., Bevan, M.W., Dyer, T.A. (1991) Delayed leaf senescence in tobacco plants transformed with tmr, a gene for cytokinin production in Agrobacterium. Plant Cell. 3, 647–656
Speirs, J., Brady, C.J. (1981) A coordinated decline in the synthesis of subunits of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase in ageing wheat leaves. II. Abundance of messanger RNA. Austr. J. Plant Physiol. 8, 603–618
Staswick, P.E. (1990) Novel regulation of vegetative storage protein genes. Plant Cell. 2, 1–6
Stoddart, J.L., Thomas, H. (1982) Leaf senescence. In: Encyclopedia of plant physiology N.S. 14A, pp. 592–636, Boulter, D., Parthier, B., eds. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Thimann, K.V. (1980) The senescence of leaves. In: Senescence in plants, pp. 85–115, Thimann, K.V., ed., CRC press Boca Raton, Fla.
Thomas, H. (1990) Leaf development in Lolium temultentum: protein metabolism during development and senescence of attached and excised leaf tissue. J. Plant Physiol. 136, 45–50
Watanabe, A., Imaseki, H. (1982) Changes in translatable mRNA in senescing wheat leaves. Plant Cell Physiol. 23, 489–497
Zeevaart, J.A.D., Creelman, R.A. (1988) Metabolism and physiology of abscisic acid. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 39, 439–473
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by VW-Stiftung, the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (B.M.F.T.) and the ‘Schweizerischer Nationalfonds’.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Becker, W., Apel, K. Differences in gene expression between natural and artificially induced leaf senescence. Planta 189, 74–79 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201346
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201346