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Temporal analysis of physiological phenotypes identifies metabolic and genetic underpinnings of senescence in maize

Temporal analysis of physiological phenotypes identifies metabolic and genetic underpinnings of... Delayed leaf senescence (staygreen) is an important agronomic trait associated with enhanced resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses and improved productivity. While senescence induces large-scale metabolomic changes, the characterization of metabolic shifts and the identification of key metabolites and pathways determining the staygreen trait remain limited. Here, we generated a temporal map of the physiological and metabolic variation in genetically diverse maize (Zea mays) inbred lines spanning the staygreen spectrum. Integrated analysis of the captured phenotypic variation revealed substantial metabolic perturbations and identified 42 primary and 141 specialized leaf metabolites. Non-staygreen inbred lines were enriched in primary metabolites represented by sugar alcohols (notably mannitol and erythritol), and amino acids including phenylalanine and arginine. In contrast, the staygreen inbred lines accumulated higher levels of specialized metabolites, primarily phenylpropanoids. Metabolome-to-genome mapping identified 56 candidate genes expressed in adult maize leaves responsible for the metabolic changes that occur during senescence. Reverse genetics validated the role of naringenin chalcone and eriodictyol in maize and Arabidopsis thaliana leaf senescence, demonstrating a conserved function of these flavonoids across monocots and dicots. Together, our results reveal the coordinated physiological and metabolic programs that govern senescence and provide a curated set of metabolites and genes underlying this complex process. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Plant Cell Oxford University Press

Temporal analysis of physiological phenotypes identifies metabolic and genetic underpinnings of senescence in maize

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References (102)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected].
ISSN
1040-4651
eISSN
1532-298X
DOI
10.1093/plcell/koaf176
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Delayed leaf senescence (staygreen) is an important agronomic trait associated with enhanced resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses and improved productivity. While senescence induces large-scale metabolomic changes, the characterization of metabolic shifts and the identification of key metabolites and pathways determining the staygreen trait remain limited. Here, we generated a temporal map of the physiological and metabolic variation in genetically diverse maize (Zea mays) inbred lines spanning the staygreen spectrum. Integrated analysis of the captured phenotypic variation revealed substantial metabolic perturbations and identified 42 primary and 141 specialized leaf metabolites. Non-staygreen inbred lines were enriched in primary metabolites represented by sugar alcohols (notably mannitol and erythritol), and amino acids including phenylalanine and arginine. In contrast, the staygreen inbred lines accumulated higher levels of specialized metabolites, primarily phenylpropanoids. Metabolome-to-genome mapping identified 56 candidate genes expressed in adult maize leaves responsible for the metabolic changes that occur during senescence. Reverse genetics validated the role of naringenin chalcone and eriodictyol in maize and Arabidopsis thaliana leaf senescence, demonstrating a conserved function of these flavonoids across monocots and dicots. Together, our results reveal the coordinated physiological and metabolic programs that govern senescence and provide a curated set of metabolites and genes underlying this complex process.

Journal

The Plant CellOxford University Press

Published: Jul 22, 2025

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