Synchronisation of Arabidopsis flowering time and whole-plant senescence in seasonal environments

Matin Miryeganeh,Masaki Yamaguchi,Hiroshi Kudoh

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28580-x

Matin Miryeganeh, Masaki Yamaguchi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28580-x

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Abstract

Synchronisation of flowering phenology has often been observed between individuals within plant species. We expected that a critical role of flowering-time control under natural conditions is a phenological synchronisation. However, no studies have quantified the level of synchronisation of reproductive timing relative to germination timing under natural conditions. In a sequential seeding experiment (SSE) in which we manipulated the germination timing of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, we developed a quantification index to evaluate reproductive synchrony in annual plants. In the SSE, we identified a novel phenomenon of reproductive synchrony: senescence synchrony. The role of vernalisation in realising flowering synchrony between plants of different ages under natural conditions was demonstrated by synchronisation and de-synchronisation of flowering initiation in vernalisation-sensitive and less-vernalisation-sensitive accessions, respectively. We also observed up-regulation of senescence-related genes at corresponding times. The approach we developed in this study provides a set of concepts and procedures that can be used to study reproductive synchrony experimentally under natural conditions.

Highlights

Reproductive synchrony, which is the synchronisation of the reproductive timing between individuals, is essential for successful mating in most organisms[1,2]
Regarding C24 and Ler-1, early-germinated cohorts flowered before winter, but late-germinated cohorts flowered in spring, and these responses resulted in de-synchronisation of bolting and flowering initiation in early-flowering accessions (Fig. 2a,b)
For flowering-time genes, we examined the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)

Summary

Introduction

Reproductive synchrony, which is the synchronisation of the reproductive timing between individuals, is essential for successful mating in most organisms[1,2]. The hypothesis that plants utilise these mechanisms to synchronise flowering phenology in natural environments has not been tested In annual plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, populations often consist of individuals that were germinated at different times[10]. These studies manipulated the germination timing and measured the phenotypic plasticity of bolting and flowering dates under natural conditions, they aimed to reveal how germination timing alters life history characteristics and, influences plant fitness and natural selection In another line of studies, photothermal models to predict the phenology of A. thaliana by incorporating the genetic mechanisms of the photoperiod and vernalisation pathways were developed[13]. Whether senescence timing is synchronously controlled in A. thaliana is a novel question that should be addressed

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