RhMYB108, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, is involved in ethylene- and JA-induced petal senescence in rose plants.

Rose () plants are major ornamental species worldwide, and their commercial value greatly depends on their open flowers, as both the quality of fully open petals and long vase life are important. Petal senescence can be started and accelerated by various hormone signals, and ethylene is considered an accelerator of petal senescence in rose. To date, however, the underlying mechanism of signaling crosstalk between ethylene and other hormones such as JA in petal senescence remains largely unknown. Here, we isolated , an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, which is highly expressed in senescing petals as well as in petals treated with exogenous ethylene and JA. Applications of exogenous ethylene and JA markedly accelerated petal senescence, while the process was delayed in response to applications of 1-MCP, an ethylene action inhibitor. In addition, silencing of alter the expression of SAGs such as , , , , and , and finally block ethylene- and JA-induced petal senescence. Furthermore, RhMYB108 was identified to target the promoters of , , and . Our results reveal a model in which functions as a receptor of ethylene and JA signals to modulate the onset of petal senescence by targeting and enhancing senescence-associated gene expression.