The Gene, Encoding a Multiple Inositol Polyphosphate Phosphatase, Coordinates a Novel Crosstalk between Phytic Acid Metabolism and Ethylene Signal Transduction in Leaf Senescence.

Plant senescence is a highly coordinated process that is intricately regulated by numerous endogenous and environmental signals. The involvement of phytic acid in various cell signaling and plant processes has been recognized, but the specific roles of phytic acid metabolism in Arabidopsis leaf senescence remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that in the multiple inositol phosphate phosphatase (AtMINPP) gene, encoding an enzyme with phytase activity, plays a crucial role in regulating leaf senescence by coordinating the ethylene signal transduction pathway. Through overexpressing (), we observed early leaf senescence and reduced chlorophyll contents. Conversely, a loss-of-function heterozygous mutant () exhibited the opposite phenotype. Correspondingly, the expression of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) was significantly upregulated in but markedly decreased in . Yeast one-hybrid and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that the EIN3 transcription factor directly binds to the promoter of Genetic analysis further revealed that could accelerate the senescence of mutants. These findings elucidate the mechanism by which AtMINPP regulates ethylene-induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis, providing insights into the genetic manipulation of leaf senescence and plant growth.