AINTEGUMENTA negatively regulates age-dependent leaf senescence downstream of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development and is regulated by many internal and external cues. As a repressor of auxin signaling, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (ARF2) is involved in control of several developmental processes, but its functional mechanism on how to positively regulate leaf senescence has not been clearly defined. Here, we examined AINTEGUMENTA (ANT), a member of the AP2/ERF transcription factor family, and found that ANT played an important role in extending leaf longevity. The loss-of-function ant-1 mutant showed premature leaf senescence, whereas overexpression of ANT led to a delay in leaf senescence. Genetic analysis revealed that loss of ANT repressed the delayed leaf senescence phenotype in arf2-5 mutant. Taken together, our results suggest that ANT is involved in regulation of leaf senescence downstream of ARF2.