The role of senescence-associated receptor-like kinase (AtSARK) in inducing senescence resulting from environmental stimuli

The senescence accelerates by abiotic stresses affecting on plant growth and productivity. It is shown that the senescence-associated receptor-like kinase is positive regulator of natural senescence, however it was not studied its involvement in stress induced senescence. Analysis of microarray database showed that different abiotic stress applications, such as salinity, cold and drought, decreased the AtSARK transcript. The phenotypic analysis of damage level were measured in Atsark mutant and wild type (WT) of Arabidopsis thaliana model plant stressed for 5 days by drought, cold and wound stresses. It was observed the resistive phenotype in Atsark mutant compared to WT under wound and cold stress. Later, the early senescence symptoms in old leaves was appeared after 3 days of recovery days after wound and cold stress in WT, but not in Atsark mutant. However, Atsark mutant didn’t show any phenotypic difference after drought stress compare to WT. The CAT activity was increased in WT after drought and wound stress, but didn’t changed in Atsark mutant. The cold stress reduced the CAT activity in WT, but not in Atsark mutant. Thus, the AtSARK could be involved in induction of senescence symptom induced by cold, wound treatment, but not in drought stress.