Ethylene regulates the timing of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis

The plant hormone ethylene influences many aspects of plant growth and development, including some specialized forms of programmed senescence such as fruit ripening and flower petal senescence. To study the relationship between ethylene and leaf senescence, etr1-1, an ethylene-insensitive mutant in Arabidopsis, was used. Comparative analysis of rosette leaf senescence between etr1-1 and wild-type plants revealed that etr1-1 leaves live approximately 30% longer than the wild-type leaves. Delayed leaf senescence in etr1-1 coincided with delayed induction of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) and higher expression levels of photosynthesis-associated genes (PAGs). In wild-type plants, exogenous ethylene was able to further accelerate induction of SAGs and decrease expression of PAGs. The extended period of leaf longevity in etr1-1 was associated with low levels of photosynthetic activity. Therefore, the leaves in etr1-1 functionally senesced even though the apparent life span of the leaf was prolonged.