Age-dependent seasonal growth cessation in Populus

Significance

In natural forests, juvenile seedlings display different seasonal growth patterns to adult trees. We characterize the genetic and molecular base of this age-dependent seasonal growth in Populus trees. We show a regulatory aspect of the miR156-SPL3/5s module in perennial trees that is very different from its mechanism in annual plants. Our study reveals a genetic mechanism for an important climate adaptation, establishment, and survival strategy for trees of different ages in natural forests.

Abstract

In temperate and boreal regions, perennial plants adapt their annual growth cycle to the change of seasons. In natural forests, juvenile seedlings usually display longer growth seasons compared to adult trees to ensure their establishment and survival under canopy shade. However, how trees adjust their annual growth according to their age is not known. In this study, we show that age-dependent seasonal growth cessation is genetically controlled and found that the miR156-SPL3/5 module, a key regulon of vegetative phase change (VPC), also triggers age-dependent growth cessation in Populus trees. We show that miR156 promotes shoot elongation during vegetative growth, and its targets SPL3/5s function in the same pathway but as repressors. We find that the miR156-SPL3/5s regulon controls growth cessation in both leaves and shoot apices and through multiple pathways, but with a different mechanism compared to how the miR156-SPL regulon controls VPC in annual plants. Taken together, our results reveal an age-dependent genetic network in mediating seasonal growth cessation, a key phenological process in the climate adaptation of perennial trees.