植物叶片衰老的表观遗传调控

叶片是植物重要的光合器官, 它的衰老由外界环境刺激和内源发育信号所启动, 复杂的基因调控网络参与衰老过程的精确调控。最新研究表明, 植物通过对基因表达的重编程, 在表观遗传水平上调节着叶片衰老过程。该文简要介绍了表观遗传的分子机制, 在此基础上重点综述了组蛋白修饰、染色质重塑、DNA甲基化及小RNAs途径对叶片衰老调控的最新研究进展, 同时讨论了该领域存在的问题和未来研究方向。

Epigenetic Regulation of Leaf Senescence in Plants

Leaves are important organs for plant photosynthesis. Their senescence is triggered by external environmental stimuli and internal developing signals and are precisely controlled by complex gene regulatory networks. Recent studies have shown that the aging process is adjusted at the epigenetic level by reprogramming gene expression. In this review, we briefly introduce epigenetic molecular mechanisms and address recent advances in leaf senescence regulation through histone modification, chromatin remodeling and small RNA pathways, while presenting existing problems and future directions in the field.