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Novel Insights into the Genetics of Plant Senescence

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A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 December 2020) | Viewed by 6879

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During a plant's life, a number of different developmental stages follow a specific genetic program. Plant senescence has been defined as the final developmental process used to remobilize nutrients for the growth of new or reproductive organs.

In this highly dynamic process, almost all levels of regulation are involved, starting from transcription factors, hormonal crosstalk, regulation via microRNAs or the dual localisation of proteins. Ever newer techniques and the decoding of increasingly complex genomes allow ever more insights into the complex processes during senescence.

In addition to model plants, findings in our cultivated plants are thus also being elucidated, which in the long term can contribute to the breeding of adapted varieties.

This Special Issue is intended to summarize results on the molecular mechanisms of plant senescence and thus contribute to a better understanding. Applications from model and crop plants are very welcome.

Dr. Götz Hensel
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

retrograde signalling
nutrient mobilization
chloroplast
photosynthesis
transcription factors
hormonal crosstalk
microRNAs

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrative Modelling of Gene Expression and Digital Phenotypes to Describe Senescence in Wheat

by Anyela Valentina Camargo Rodriguez

Genes 2021, 12(6), 909; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12060909 - 11 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2387

Abstract

Senescence is the final stage of leaf development and is critical for plants’ fitness as nutrient relocation from leaves to reproductive organs takes place. Although senescence is key in nutrient relocation and yield determination in cereal grain production, there is limited understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control it in major staple crops such as wheat. Senescence is a highly orchestrated continuum of interacting pathways throughout the lifecycle of a plant. Levels of gene expression, morphogenesis, and phenotypic development all play key roles. Yet, most studies focus on a short window immediately after anthesis. This approach clearly leaves out key components controlling the activation, development, and modulation of the senescence pathway before anthesis, as well as during the later developmental stages, during which grain development continues. Here, a computational multiscale modelling approach integrates multi-omics developmental data to attempt to simulate senescence at the molecular and plant level. To recreate the senescence process in wheat, core principles were borrowed from Arabidopsis Thaliana, a more widely researched plant model. The resulted model describes temporal gene regulatory networks and their effect on plant morphology leading to senescence. Digital phenotypes generated from images using a phenomics platform were used to capture the dynamics of plant development. This work provides the basis for the application of computational modelling to advance understanding of the complex biological trait senescence. This supports the development of a predictive framework enabling its prediction in changing or extreme environmental conditions, with a view to targeted selection for optimal lifecycle duration for improving resilience to climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Insights into the Genetics of Plant Senescence)

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Review

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15 pages, 652 KiB

Open AccessReview

Senescence: The Compromised Time of Death That Plants May Call on Themselves

by Matin Miryeganeh

Genes 2021, 12(2), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12020143 - 22 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3952

Abstract

Plants synchronize their life history events with proper seasonal conditions, and as the fitness consequences of each life stage depend on previous and/or subsequent one, changes in environmental cues create cascading effects throughout their whole life cycle. For monocarpic plants, proper senescence timing is very important as the final production of plants depends on it. Citing available literatures, this review discusses how plants not only may delay senescence until after they reproduce successfully, but they may also bring senescence time forward, in order to reproduce in favored conditions. It demonstrates that even though senescence is part of aging, it does not necessarily mean plants have to reach a certain age to senesce. Experiments using different aged plants have suggested that in interest of their final outcome and fitness, plants carefully weigh out environmental cues and transit to next developmental phase at proper time, even if that means transiting to terminal senescence phase earlier and shortening their lifespan. How much plants have control over senescence timing and how they balance internal and external signals for that is not well understood. Future studies are needed to identify processes that trigger senescence timing in response to environment and investigate genetic/epigenetic mechanisms behind it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Insights into the Genetics of Plant Senescence)

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