Interactions between temperature and sugars in the regulation of leaf senescence in the perennial herb Arabis alpina L.

Annual plants usually flower and set seed once before senescence results in the death of the whole plant (monocarpic senescence). Leaf senescence also occurs in polycarpic perennials; even in "evergreen" species individual leaves senesce. In the annual model Arabidopsis thaliana sugars accumulate in the senescent leaves and senescence is accelerated by high sugar availability. Similar to A. thaliana, sugar contents increased with leaf age in the perennial Arabis alpina grown under warm conditions (22 °C day/18 night). At 5 °C, sugar contents in non-senescent leaves were higher than at a warm temperature, but dependent on the accession, either sugars did not accumulate or their contents decreased in old leaves. In A. alpina plants grown in their natural habitat in the Alps, sugar contents declined with leaf age. Growth at a cold temperature slightly delayed senescence in A. alpina. In both warm and cold conditions, an external glucose supply accelerated senescence, but natural variation was found in this response. In conclusion, sugar accumulation under warm conditions could accelerate leaf senescence in A. alpina plants, but genotype-specific responses and interactions with growth temperature are likely to influence senescence under natural conditions.