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MicroRNA156‐mediated changes in leaf composition lead to altered photosynthetic traits during vegetative phase change
Author(s) -
Lawrence Erica H.,
Springer Clint J.,
Helliker Brent R.,
Poethig R. Scott
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.17007
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , biology , juvenile , arabidopsis thaliana , botany , leaf size , adaptation (eye) , photosynthetic capacity , specific leaf area , trait , ontogeny , arabidopsis , phase change , ecology , gene , mutant , genetics , neuroscience , computer science , programming language , engineering physics , engineering
Summary Plant morphology and physiology change with growth and development. Some of these changes are due to change in plant size and some are the result of genetically programmed developmental transitions. In this study we investigate the role of the developmental transition, vegetative phase change (VPC), on morphological and photosynthetic changes. We used overexpression of microRNA156, the master regulator of VPC, to modulate the timing of VPC in Populus tremula × alba , Zea mays , and Arabidopsis thaliana to determine its role in trait variation independent of changes in size and overall age. Here, we find that juvenile and adult leaves in all three species photosynthesize at different rates and that these differences are due to phase‐dependent changes in specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf N but not photosynthetic biochemistry. Further, we found juvenile leaves with high SLA were associated with better photosynthetic performance at low light levels. This study establishes a role for VPC in leaf composition and photosynthetic performance across diverse species and environments. Variation in leaf traits due to VPC are likely to provide distinct benefits under specific environments; as a result, selection on the timing of this transition could be a mechanism for environmental adaptation.