Background
Early leaf senescence influences yield and yield quality by affecting plant growth and development. A series of leaf senescence-associated molecular mechanisms have been reported in rice. However, the complex genetic regulatory networks that control leaf senescence need to be elucidated.
Results
In this study, an
early senescence 2
(
es2
) mutant was obtained from ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis (EMS)-induced mutational library for the
Japonica
rice cultivar Wuyugeng 7 (WYG7). Leaves of
es2
showed early senescence at the seedling stage and became severe at the tillering stage. The contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly increased, while chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, catalase (CAT) activity significantly decreased in the
es2
mutant. Moreover, genes which related to senescence, ROS and chlorophyll degradation were up-regulated, while those associated with photosynthesis and chlorophyll synthesis were down-regulated in
es2
mutant compared to WYG7. The
ES2
gene, which encodes an inositol polyphosphate kinase (OsIPK2), was fine mapped to a 116.73-kb region on chromosome 2. DNA sequencing of
ES2
in the mutant revealed a missense mutation, ES2 was localized to nucleus and plasma membrane of cells, and expressed in various tissues of rice. Complementation test and overexpression experiment confirmed that
ES2
completely restored the normal phenotype, with chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic rate increased comparable with the wild type. These results reveal the new role of
OsIPK2
in regulating leaf senescence in rice and therefore will provide additional genetic evidence on the molecular mechanisms controlling early leaf senescence.
Conclusions
The
ES2
gene, encoding an inositol polyphosphate kinase localized in the nucleus and plasma membrane of cells, is essential for leaf senescence in rice. Further study of
ES2
will facilitate the dissection of the genetic mechanisms underlying early leaf senescence and plant growth.