Leaf senescence: progression, regulation, and application

Abstract Leaf senescence, the last stage of leaf development, is a type postmitotic senescence and characterized by functional transition from nutrient assimilation to remobilization which essential for plants’ fitness. The initiation progression are regulated variety internal external factors such as age, phytohormones, environmental stresses. Significant breakthroughs in dissecting molecular mechanisms underpinning have benefited identification senescence-altered mutants through forward genetic screening assessment hundreds senescence-associated genes ( SAGs ) via reverse research model plant Arabidopsis thaliana well crop plants. involves highly complex programs that tightly tuned multiple layers regulation, including chromatin transcription post-transcriptional, translational post-translational regulation. Due significant impact on photosynthesis, remobilization, stress responses, productivity, much effort has been made devising strategies based known regulatory manipulate aiming higher yield, better quality, or improved horticultural performance This review aims provide an overview discuss recent advances multi-dimensional regulation network perspectives. We also put key issues need be addressed, nature stay-green trait, coordination between different pathways, source-sink relationship researches senescence.