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The mysterious origin of plant self-pruning: Why do plants automatically cut some of their tissue?
The aging process of plants, that is, plant aging, demonstrates the wonderful self-regulation mechanism of nature.Plants are not only facing environmental pressures, but also facing developmental aging related to age.Through these processes, plants wisely adjust themselves to maximize nutrient utilization and survival opportunities.In the end, what biological significance does this phenomenon of self-pruning have?
Plants recycle nutrients, especially nitrogen, through aging, which is crucial for their growth and storage organs.
Regulation of plant hormones in the aging process
The aging process of plants is deeply influenced by a variety of plant hormones.Hormones such as abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid are widely accepted as factors that promote aging, while some sources point out that auxin, zinc steroids and drivers are also involved.The regulation of cell division in late development and expression of cytokinin synthesis genes can effectively prevent leaf aging.When cells gradually become unable to sense cytokinin, they may enter a program of suicide or aging.
Developmental aging is more dependent on salicylic acid than dark-induced aging, while dark-induced aging is more associated with jasmonic acid and ethylene.
Advantages of annual growth and perennial plants
Some plants evolve to seeds that die at the end of the season each year and leave a season of seeds, while closely related plants evolve into perennial forms.This seems to be a specific "strategy".The benefit of annual growth strategies is that this gene diversity ensures new gene combinations and optimizes seed yields.On the contrary, perennials build strong and large root structures every year, which gives them an advantage in the competition of sunlight, moisture, nutrients and space.
Period plants will have the advantage of growing in spring because of their strong growth points and stored energy.
The hypothesis of plant self-pruning
The self-pruning hypothesis points out that plants often prune part of their tissues during the growing season, whether annual or perennial plants.The main reason is that a large number of mature leaves and roots are cut due to reduced efficiency in obtaining nutrients or facing resource shortages.This is a self-adjustment made by plants in order to maintain resource acquisition with high efficiency.
If mature cells cannot effectively obtain the necessary nutrients, these cells will eventually be pruned to redistribute resources to younger tissues with more potential.
Hormone-induced aging theory
The hormone regulation mechanism of the plant aging process is not very mature, but some hormones such as ethylene and abscisic acid are generally considered key to aging.The latest research shows that although ethylene is regarded as a key factor in leaf shedding, abscisic acid and drivers also seem to play an important role in the aging of plants.
When plants are in the absence of water or minerals, the abscisic acid and driver released by mature leaves can lead to a large amount of nutrient loss, ultimately causing the leaves to age and shed.
Aging and Recovery of Seeds
The aging of seeds affects the yield of the crop.As we age, internal DNA damage in seeds causes seed mass to decline due to accumulation.Research has found that in the dry state, the DNA of some seeds will be damaged over time, but these seeds will undergo DNA repair during germination.Repair of DNA damage is an important factor in ensuring the long-term survival of seeds.
Plants use DNA ligase to repair single/double-strand breaks due to aging during repair.
End
Plant self-pruning is not only a survival strategy, but also reflects their adaptability and wisdom.This ability to self-adjust allows plants to survive and reproduce in a changing environment.Facing the future, how does this phenomenon affect the balance between plant evolution and ecosystems?
