Living to die and dying to live: the survival strategy behind leaf senescence

Schippers, J. H. M., Schmidt, R., Wagstaff, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9400-8641 and Jing, H.-C. (2015) Living to die and dying to live: the survival strategy behind leaf senescence. Plant Physiology, 169 (2). pp. 914-930. ISSN 0032-0889 doi: 10.1104/pp.15.00498

Abstract/Summary

Senescence represents the final developmental act of the leaf, during which the leaf cell is dismantled in a coordinated manner to remobilize nutrients and to secure reproductive success. The process of senescence provides the plant with phenotypic plasticity to help it adapt to adverse environmental conditions. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the factors and mechanisms that control the onset of senescence. We explain how the competence to senesce is established during leaf development, as depicted by the senescence window model. We also discuss the mechanisms by which phytohormones and environmental stresses control senescence, as well as the impact of source-sink relationships on plant yield and stress tolerance. In addition, we discuss the role of senescence as a strategy for stress adaptation and how crop production and food quality could benefit from engineering or breeding crops with altered onset of senescence.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/42443
Identification Number/DOI	10.1104/pp.15.00498
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Interdisciplinary centres and themes > Centre for Food Security Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences > Human Nutrition Research Group
Publisher	American Society of Plant Biologists
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