Munné-Bosch Sergi
Departament de Biologia Vegetal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Plant Physiol. 2014 Oct;166(2):720-5. doi: 10.1104/pp.114.236000. Epub 2014 Feb 21.
Maximum lifespan greatly varies among species, and it is not strictly determined; it can change with species evolution. Clonal growth is a major factor governing maximum lifespan. In the plant kingdom, the maximum lifespans described for clonal and nonclonal plants vary by an order of magnitude, with 43,600 and 5,062 years for Lomatia tasmanica and Pinus longaeva, respectively. Nonclonal perennial plants (those plants exclusively using sexual reproduction) also present a huge diversity in maximum lifespans (from a few to thousands of years) and even more interestingly, contrasting differences in aging patterns. Some plants show a clear physiological deterioration with aging, whereas others do not. Indeed, some plants can even improve their physiological performance as they age (a phenomenon called negative senescence). This diversity in aging patterns responds to species-specific life history traits and mechanisms evolved by each species to adapt to its habitat. Particularities of roots in perennial plants, such as meristem indeterminacy, modular growth, stress resistance, and patterns of senescence, are crucial in establishing perenniality and understanding adaptation of perennial plants to their habitats. Here, the key role of roots for perennial plant longevity will be discussed, taking into account current knowledge and highlighting additional aspects that still require investigation.
物种的最大寿命差异极大，且并非严格确定；它会随物种进化而改变。克隆生长是决定最大寿命的一个主要因素。在植物界，克隆植物和非克隆植物的最大寿命相差一个数量级，塔斯马尼亚莲座蕨和狐尾松的最大寿命分别为43600年和5062年。非克隆多年生植物（即那些仅通过有性繁殖的植物）的最大寿命也存在巨大差异（从几年到数千年不等），更有趣的是，它们在衰老模式上存在显著差异。一些植物随着衰老会出现明显的生理退化，而另一些则不会。事实上，有些植物甚至会随着年龄增长而提高其生理性能（这种现象称为负衰老）。这种衰老模式的多样性反映了每个物种为适应其栖息地而进化出的特定物种生活史特征和机制。多年生植物根系的特殊性，如分生组织的不确定性、模块化生长、抗逆性和衰老模式，对于确立多年生特性以及理解多年生植物对其栖息地的适应性至关重要。在此，将结合当前的知识探讨根系对多年生植物长寿的关键作用，并强调仍需研究的其他方面。
