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Signal transduction in leaf senescence

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Abstract

Leaf senescence is a complex developmental phase that involves both degenerative and nutrient recycling processes. It is characterized by loss of chlorophyll and the degradation of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and nutrient remobilization. The onset and progression of leaf senescence are controlled by an array of environmental cues (such as drought, darkness, extreme temperatures, and pathogen attack) and endogenous factors (including age, ethylene, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, abscisic acid, and cytokinin). This review discusses the major breakthroughs in signal transduction during the onset of leaf senescence, in dark- and drought-mediated leaf senescence, and in various hormones regulating leaf senescence achieved in the past several years. Various signals show different mechanisms of controlling leaf senescence, and cross-talks between different signaling pathways make it more complex. Key senescence regulatory networks still need to be elucidated, including cross-talks and the interaction mechanisms of various environmental signals and internal factors.

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Acknowledgments

We thank members of C Zhou Lab for helpful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. Our work on leaf senescence research is financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30971767), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (C2010000386), the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20091303120004), and the Key Scientific Research Project of Department of Hebei Education (ZD200905).

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  1. College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, People’s Republic of China

    Haoshan Zhang & Chunjiang Zhou

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Zhang, H., Zhou, C. Signal transduction in leaf senescence. Plant Mol Biol 82, 539–545 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-012-9980-4

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