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Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2017) | Viewed by 42267

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant senescence processes have been studied for a long time, and there is some understanding of the mechanisms of this process, which are multitude and influenced by several hormonal, stress, and environmental factors. Delineating these mechanisms is also important, in terms of economic and food security, as delaying the senescence process has the potential of preventing untimely losses in fruits and vegetables, which is a major issue in developing countries. There have been several advances in our understanding of the mechanism of ethylene action, the primary hormone that initiates senescence. However, a large number of these studies are more akin to repetitions of existing studies, and, hence, novel concepts have not been brought forth in this area. The senescence process is initiated in the membrane and the molecular and biochemical processes following ethylene receptor activation are presently being unraveled . The role of enzymes, such as phospholipase D and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and their interplay during senescence, has not been fully unraveled. In addition, the relationship of the ethylene signal transduction pathway and its interaction with abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and the modulation of these processes by transcription factors (ethylene response factors), are also important areas that are relevant to biotic and abiotic stresses. Understanding the molecular aspects of plant–pathogen interactions will help in developing new breeds of plants that are resistant to pathogens. Overall, these are all topics of overarching importance, and a Special Issue of IJMS, focusing on various aspects of plant senescence will be a novel and useful contribution. Original papers and reviews addressing the various aspects of senescence are sought.

Prof. Dr. Gopinadhan Paliyath
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Hormones
  • Ethylene
  • Membrane biology
  • Enzymes
  • Signal transduction
  • Calcium
  • Ion transport
  • Ion channels
  • Protein Phosphorylation
  • Gene Regulation
  • Transcription factors
  • Plant structure, biotic and abiotic stress, environmental regulation

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17323 KiB  
Article
RNA Sequencing and Coexpression Analysis Reveal Key Genes Involved in α-Linolenic Acid Biosynthesis in Perilla frutescens Seed
by Tianyuan Zhang, Chi Song, Li Song, Zhiwei Shang, Sen Yang, Dong Zhang, Wei Sun, Qi Shen and Degang Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(11), 2433; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112433 - 16 Nov 2017
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4966
Abstract
Perilla frutescen is used as traditional food and medicine in East Asia. Its seeds contain high levels of α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is important for health, but is scarce in our daily meals. Previous reports on RNA-seq of perilla seed had identified fatty [...] Read more.
Perilla frutescen is used as traditional food and medicine in East Asia. Its seeds contain high levels of α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is important for health, but is scarce in our daily meals. Previous reports on RNA-seq of perilla seed had identified fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis genes, but the underlying mechanism of ALA biosynthesis and its regulation still need to be further explored. So we conducted Illumina RNA-sequencing in seven temporal developmental stages of perilla seeds. Sequencing generated a total of 127 million clean reads, containing 15.88 Gb of valid data. The de novo assembly of sequence reads yielded 64,156 unigenes with an average length of 777 bp. A total of 39,760 unigenes were annotated and 11,693 unigenes were found to be differentially expressed in all samples. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, 486 unigenes were annotated in the “lipid metabolism” pathway. Of these, 150 unigenes were found to be involved in fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis and triacylglycerol (TAG) assembly in perilla seeds. A coexpression analysis showed that a total of 104 genes were highly coexpressed (r > 0.95). The coexpression network could be divided into two main subnetworks showing over expression in the medium or earlier and late phases, respectively. In order to identify the putative regulatory genes, a transcription factor (TF) analysis was performed. This led to the identification of 45 gene families, mainly including the AP2-EREBP, bHLH, MYB, and NAC families, etc. After coexpression analysis of TFs with highly expression of FAD2 and FAD3 genes, 162 TFs were found to be significantly associated with two FAD genes (r > 0.95). Those TFs were predicted to be the key regulatory factors in ALA biosynthesis in perilla seed. The qRT-PCR analysis also verified the relevance of expression pattern between two FAD genes and partial candidate TFs. Although it has been reported that some TFs are involved in seed development, more direct evidence is still needed to verify their function. However, these findings can provide clues to reveal the possible molecular mechanisms of ALA biosynthesis and its regulation in perilla seed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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6604 KiB  
Article
The NAC Transcription Factor Gene OsY37 (ONAC011) Promotes Leaf Senescence and Accelerates Heading Time in Rice
by Yousra El Mannai, Kenta Akabane, Keiichiro Hiratsu, Namiko Satoh-Nagasawa and Hiroetsu Wabiko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(10), 2165; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18102165 - 17 Oct 2017
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5410
Abstract
Leaf senescence is an important physiological process involving the degradation of a number of metabolites and their remobilization to new reproductive and storage organs. NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) transcription factors are reported as important regulators of the senescence process. Here, we describe [...] Read more.
Leaf senescence is an important physiological process involving the degradation of a number of metabolites and their remobilization to new reproductive and storage organs. NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) transcription factors are reported as important regulators of the senescence process. Here, we describe the identification and functional characterization of the NAC transcription factor gene, OsY37 (Oryza sativa Yellow37, ONAC011) obtained from Oryza sativa cv. indica, and japonica. We created transgenic plants expressing the OsY37 gene under the control of a strong and constitutive CaMV35S promoter. The resulting transgenic plants overexpressing OsY37 gene showed early heading and precocious senescence phenotype of flag leaves compared with wild-type plants. By contrast, blocking the function of this gene via RNAi (RNA interference) and CRES-T (Chimeric Repressor Silencing Technology) technology, delayed both heading time and leaf senescence. Furthermore, knockdown of OsY37 expression caused dwarfism and high accumulation of chlorophyll during the vegetative phase. Irrespective of early or delayed senescence, transgenic plants showed reduced grain yields. Our results indicate that OsY37 acts as a positive regulator of heading and senescence during the reproductive phase in rice. In addition, OsY37 may be involved in plant development and grain yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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3320 KiB  
Article
Arabidopsis E3 Ubiquitin Ligases PUB22 and PUB23 Negatively Regulate Drought Tolerance by Targeting ABA Receptor PYL9 for Degradation
by Jinfeng Zhao, Linlin Zhao, Ming Zhang, Syed Adeel Zafar, Jingjing Fang, Ming Li, Wenhui Zhang and Xueyong Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(9), 1841; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18091841 - 24 Aug 2017
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 8133
Abstract
Drought causes osmotic stress and rapidly triggers abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in plants. The roles of various ABA receptors in drought tolerance and molecular mechanisms regulating ABA receptor stability needs to be elucidated. Here, we report that Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PYL9, one of [...] Read more.
Drought causes osmotic stress and rapidly triggers abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in plants. The roles of various ABA receptors in drought tolerance and molecular mechanisms regulating ABA receptor stability needs to be elucidated. Here, we report that Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PYL9, one of the 14 pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/pyrabactin resistance-like (PYL)/regulatory component of ABA receptors (RCAR) family ABA receptors, gained drought tolerance trait. Osmotic stress induced accumulation of the PYL9 protein, which was regulated by the 26S proteasome. PYL9 interacted with two highly homologous plant U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases PUB22 and PUB23. In the cell-free degradation assay, the degradation of GST-PYL9 was accelerated in protein extract from plants overexpressing PUB22 but slowed down in protein extract from the pub22 pub23 double mutant. The in vivo decay of Myc-PYL9 was significantly reduced in the pub22 pub23 double mutant as compared with the wild-type. Additionally, PUB22 also interacted with other ABA receptors such as PYL5, PYL7 and PYL8. Considering the improved drought tolerance in the pub22 pub23 double mutant in previous studies, our results suggest that PUB22 and PUB23 negatively regulate drought tolerance in part by facilitating ABA receptors degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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3729 KiB  
Article
Upregulation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K) Enhances Ethylene Biosynthesis and Accelerates Flower Senescence in Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum L.
by Mohd Sabri Pak Dek, Priya Padmanabhan, Sherif Sherif, Jayasankar Subramanian and And Gopinadhan Paliyath
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(7), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18071533 - 15 Jul 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5075
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a key enzyme that phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol at 3’-hydroxyl position of the inositol head group initiating the generation of several phosphorylated phosphatidylinositols, collectively referred to as phosphoinositides. The function of PI3K in plant senescence and ethylene signal transduction process was [...] Read more.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a key enzyme that phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol at 3’-hydroxyl position of the inositol head group initiating the generation of several phosphorylated phosphatidylinositols, collectively referred to as phosphoinositides. The function of PI3K in plant senescence and ethylene signal transduction process was studied by expression of Solanum lycopersicum PI3K in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum, and delineating its effect on flower senescence. Detached flowers of transgenic tobacco plants with overexpressed Sl-PI3K (OX) displayed accelerated senescence and reduced longevity, when compared to the flowers of wild type plants. Flowers from PI3K-overexpressing plants showed enhanced ethylene production and upregulated expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase 1 (ACO1). Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that PI3K was expressed at a higher level in OX flowers than in the control. Seedlings of OX-lines also demonstrated a triple response phenotype with characteristic exaggerated apical hook, shorter hypocotyls and increased sensitivity to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate than the control wild type seedlings. In floral tissue from OX-lines, Solanum lycopersicum phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase green fluorescent protein (PI3K-GFP) chimera protein was localized primarily in stomata, potentially in cytoplasm and membrane adjacent to stomatal pores in the guard cells. Immunoblot analysis of PI3K expression in OX lines demonstrated increased protein level compared to the control. Results of the present study suggest that PI3K plays a crucial role in senescence by enhancing ethylene biosynthesis and signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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Review

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813 KiB  
Review
Genetic Dissection of Leaf Senescence in Rice
by Yujia Leng, Guoyou Ye and Dali Zeng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(12), 2686; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18122686 - 11 Dec 2017
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 6266
Abstract
Leaf senescence, the final stage of leaf development, is a complex and highly regulated process that involves a series of coordinated actions at the cellular, tissue, organ, and organism levels under the control of a highly regulated genetic program. In the last decade, [...] Read more.
Leaf senescence, the final stage of leaf development, is a complex and highly regulated process that involves a series of coordinated actions at the cellular, tissue, organ, and organism levels under the control of a highly regulated genetic program. In the last decade, the use of mutants with different levels of leaf senescence phenotypes has led to the cloning and functional characterizations of a few genes, which has greatly improved the understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying leaf senescence. In this review, we summarize the recent achievements in the genetic mechanisms in rice leaf senescence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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1193 KiB  
Review
Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases in Phytohormone Signaling Pathways
by Wuwu Xu and Wenchao Huang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(11), 2436; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112436 - 20 Nov 2017
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6940
Abstract
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs/CDPKs) are Ca2+-sensors that decode Ca2+ signals into specific physiological responses. Research has reported that CDPKs constitute a large multigene family in various plant species, and play diverse roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although [...] Read more.
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs/CDPKs) are Ca2+-sensors that decode Ca2+ signals into specific physiological responses. Research has reported that CDPKs constitute a large multigene family in various plant species, and play diverse roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although numerous CDPKs have been exhaustively studied, and many of them have been found to be involved in plant hormone biosynthesis and response mechanisms, a comprehensive overview of the manner in which CDPKs participate in phytohormone signaling pathways, regulating nearly all aspects of plant growth, has not yet been undertaken. In this article, we reviewed the structure of CDPKs and the mechanism of their subcellular localization. Some CDPKs were elucidated to influence the intracellular localization of their substrates. Since little work has been done on the interaction between CDPKs and cytokinin signaling pathways, or on newly defined phytohormones such as brassinosteroids, strigolactones and salicylic acid, this paper mainly focused on discussing the integral associations between CDPKs and five plant hormones: auxins, gibberellins, ethylene, jasmonates, and abscisic acid. A perspective on future work is provided at the end. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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1569 KiB  
Review
The Role of the S40 Gene Family in Leaf Senescence
by Muhammad Jehanzeb, Xiangzi Zheng and Ying Miao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(10), 2152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18102152 - 16 Oct 2017
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4630
Abstract
Senescence affect different traits of plants, such as the ripening of fruit, number, quality and timing of seed maturation. While senescence is induced by age, growth hormones and different environmental stresses, a highly organized genetic mechanism related to substantial changes in gene expression [...] Read more.
Senescence affect different traits of plants, such as the ripening of fruit, number, quality and timing of seed maturation. While senescence is induced by age, growth hormones and different environmental stresses, a highly organized genetic mechanism related to substantial changes in gene expression regulates the process. Only a few genes associated to senescence have been identified in crop plants despite the vital significance of senescence for crop yield. The S40 gene family has been shown to play a role in leaf senescence. The barley HvS40 gene is one of the senescence marker genes which shows expression during age-dependent as well as dark-induced senescence. Like barley HvS40, the Arabidopsis AtS40-3 gene is also induced during natural senescence as well as in response to treatment with abscisic acid, salicylic acid, darkness and pathogen attack. It is speculated that rice OsS40 has a similar function in the leaf senescence of rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Senescence)
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