Photosynthetic properties of the mid-vein and leaf lamina of field-grown, high-yield hybrid rice during senescence

Previous studies with rice (Oryza sativa L.) have shown that the different components of the photosynthetic apparatus are not uniformly synthesized or degraded during senescence. However, while most of those studies have focused on the leaf lamina, few have addressed senescence-associated chloroplast function or leaf physiology. Here, we investigated the photosynthetic properties of the mid-vein and leaf lamina in a high-yield hybrid rice cultivar (Liangyoupei 9, LYP9) during the senescence stage. Assimilation and transpiration decreased more slowly in the mid-vein than in the lamina during senescence, suggesting more sustained photosynthesis in the mid-vein, as well as stronger heat dissipation. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis suggested that photosynthesis and energy metabolism were less affected by senescence in the mid-vein than in the leaf lamina. During late senescence, the excess energy dissipation in the midvein through the xanthophyll cycle had a higher active photosynthetic capacity than in the leaf lamina, and we inferred that the mid-vein and leaf lamina of LYP9 rice differed in terms of their maturation. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of senescence of the rice mid-vein and associated physiology.