@article{MaBalazadehMuellerRoeber2019,
  author    = {Ma, Xuemin and Balazadeh, Salma and Mueller-Roeber, Bernd},
  title     = {Tomato fruit ripening factor NOR controls leaf senescence},
  series = {Journal of experimental botany},
  volume    = {70},
  journal   = {Journal of experimental botany},
  number    = {10},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0022-0957},
  doi       = {10.1093/jxb/erz098},
  pages     = {2727 -- 2740},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {NAC transcription factors (TFs) are important regulators of expressional reprogramming during plant development, stress responses, and leaf senescence. NAC TFs also play important roles in fruit ripening. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), one of the best characterized NACs involved in fruit ripening is NON-RIPENING (NOR), and the non-ripening (nor) mutation has been widely used to extend fruit shelf life in elite varieties. Here, we show that NOR additionally controls leaf senescence. Expression of NOR increases with leaf age, and developmental as well as dark-induced senescence are delayed in the nor mutant, while overexpression of NOR promotes leaf senescence. Genes associated with chlorophyll degradation as well as senescence-associated genes (SAGs) show reduced and elevated expression, respectively, in nor mutants and NOR overexpressors. Overexpression of NOR also stimulates leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana. In tomato, NOR supports senescence by directly and positively regulating the expression of several senescence-associated genes including, besides others, SlSAG15 and SlSAG113, SlSGR1, and SlYLS4. Finally, we find that another senescence control NAC TF, namely SlNAP2, acts upstream of NOR to regulate its expression. Our data support a model whereby NAC TFs have often been recruited by higher plants for both the control of leaf senescence and fruit ripening.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Ma2018,
  author    = {Ma, Xuemin},
  title     = {Characterization of NAC transcription factors involved in leaf senescence and fruit ripening in tomato},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {134},
  year      = {2018},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MaZhangTureckovaetal.2018,
  author    = {Ma, Xuemin and Zhang, Youjun and Tureckova, Veronika and Xue, Gang-Ping and Fernie, Alisdair R. and Mueller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd and Balazadeh, Salma},
  title     = {The NAC Transcription Factor SlNAP2 Regulates Leaf Senescence and Fruit Yield in Tomato},
  series = {Plant physiology : an international journal devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biophysics and environmental biology of plants},
  volume    = {177},
  journal   = {Plant physiology : an international journal devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biophysics and environmental biology of plants},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {American Society of Plant Physiologists},
  address   = {Rockville},
  issn      = {0032-0889},
  doi       = {10.1104/pp.18.00292},
  pages     = {1286 -- 1302},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Leaf senescence is an essential physiological process in plants that supports the recycling of nitrogen and other nutrients to support the growth of developing organs, including young leaves, seeds, and fruits. Thus, the regulation of senescence is crucial for evolutionary success in wild populations and for increasing yield in crops. Here, we describe the influence of a NAC transcription factor, SlNAP2 (Solanum lycopersicum NAC-like, activated by Apetala3/Pistillata), that controls both leaf senescence and fruit yield in tomato (S. lycopersicum). SlNAP2 expression increases during age-dependent and dark-induced leaf senescence. We demonstrate that SlNAP2 activates SlSAG113 (S. lycopersicum SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE113), a homolog of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) SAG113, chlorophyll degradation genes such as SlSGR1 (S. lycopersicum senescence-inducible chloroplast stay-green protein 1) and SlPAO (S. lycopersicum pheide a oxygenase), and other downstream targets by directly binding to their promoters, thereby promoting leaf senescence. Furthermore, SlNAP2 directly controls the expression of genes important for abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, S. lycopersicum 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 1 (SlNCED1); transport, S. lycopersicum ABC transporter G family member 40 (SlABCG40); and degradation, S. lycopersicum ABA 8′-hydroxylase (SlCYP707A2), indicating that SlNAP2 has a complex role in establishing ABA homeostasis during leaf senescence. Inhibiting SlNAP2 expression in transgenic tomato plants impedes leaf senescence but enhances fruit yield and sugar content likely due to prolonged leaf photosynthesis in aging tomato plants. Our data indicate that SlNAP2 has a central role in controlling leaf senescence and fruit yield in tomato.},
  language  = {en}
}