Aging, stress, and senescence in plants: what can biological diversity teach us?

Aging, stress, and senescence in plants are interconnected processes that determine longevity. We focus here on compiling and discussing our current knowledge on the mechanisms of development that long-lived perennial plants have evolved to prevent and delay senescence. Clonal and nonclonal perennial herbs of various life forms and longevities will be particularly considered to illustrate what biological diversity can teach us about aging as a universal phenomenon. Source-sink relations and redox signaling will also be discussed as examples of regulatory mechanisms of senescence at the organ level. Whether or not effective mechanisms that biological diversity has evolved to completely prevent the wear and tear of aging will be applicable to human aging in the near future ultimately depends on ethical aspects.

Automated summary

This article focuses on discussing the mechanisms that long-lived perennial plants have evolved to prevent and delay senescence, and the insights that biological diversity can provide on aging as a universal phenomenon. It also explores examples of regulatory mechanisms of senescence at the organ level and raises the question of whether these mechanisms will be applicable to human aging in the future, depending on ethical considerations.