Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2014, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (6): 729-737.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2014.00729

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Epigenetic Regulation of Leaf Senescence in Plants

Tongwen Yang, Chengwei Li*   

  1. Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Molecular Breeding, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou 466001, China
  • Received:2013-10-28 Revised:2014-05-20 Online:2014-11-01 Published:2014-11-21
  • Contact: Chengwei Li

Abstract: 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.