Autophagy in N management at the whole plant level.

Understanding how plants recycle and reuse nitrogen all along their lifespan is essential to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Nitrogen recycling occurs in all the plant organs through protein and nucleic acid turn over. In senescing organs, protein degradation is enhanced and participates to nutrient recycling and remobilization from source to sinks. During leaf senescence(definition) metabolic change occurs and a tight control of the degradation of the cellular components is orchestrated in order to facilitate the degradation of the cytoplasm material and to maintain cell survival as long as possible. Autophagy(definition) certainly plays a key role in fine tuning cell degradation and cell longevity. Autophagy activity is increased in senescing organs to remove oxidized proteins and unwanted organelles and by the way participates to N recycling and remobilization. The recent advances on the role of autophagy and proteases in plant N management will be presented. Chen, et al.(2019) Plant and Cell Physiology (60), 343-352.Guiboileau, et al. (2012) New Phytologist (194), 732-740.Masclaux-Daubresse, et al. Current Opinion in Plant Biology (39), 8-17.