Natural variation in the regulation of leaf senescence and relation to other traits in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Plant, cell and environment Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 223 - 231
• Main Authors: Levey, S, Wingler, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-02-2005; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; chlorophyll; ecotypes; environmental factors; flowering; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic variation; leaf senescence; leaves; life history traits; natural variation; photoperiod; plant genetics; plant morphology; plant physiology; Plant physiology and development; principal component analysis; senescence; Senescence and abscission; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; Chlorophyll; Senescence; Fruit; Growth; life history traits; natural variation; Environmental factor; Plant leaf; Arabidopsis thaliana; Reproduction; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Flowering; Spermatophyta; Photosynthesis; photoperiod
• ISSN: 0140-7791; 1365-3040
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2004.01266.x

Leaf senescence results in the recycling of nutrients, thereby providing resources required for growth and reproduction. In this study, the effect of day-length on leaf senescence in eight different Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes was determined and the relationship between senescence and other morphological and life history traits was analysed. A significant variation in the start and extent of leaf senescence depending on the genetic background and the response to day-length was found. Whereas senescence of early flowering ecotypes was accelerated by long days, no effect of day-length on senescence could be found in late flowering Kas-1 plants. Senescence in the different ecotypes was associated with other traits, such as floral transition, the total number of fruits, the total number of leaves and the maximum chlorophyll content. Plants that bolted early also senesced early, produced fewer leaves, accumulated less chlorophyll, but produced more fruits. The present results indicate that senescence may be a key component in the trade-off between investment in photosynthetic capacity and reproduction. The relationship between senescence and other traits was maintained independent of whether differences in senescence were caused by genetic (ecotype) or environmental (day-length) variation, suggesting that genetic and environmental factors affect these traits through common regulatory pathways.