Recent advances in cellular degradation and nuclear control of leaf senescence.

The article focuses on the molecular regulation and hallmarks of leaf senescence in plants, emphasizing its critical role in nutrient reallocation, reproductive success, and stress adaptation. It highlights three main hallmarks of leaf senescence: chlorophyll and chloroplast degradation, loss of proteostasis through cellular degradation pathways such as autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and extensive transcriptional reprogramming involving senescence-associated genes (SAGs) and diverse transcription factors. The review also discusses the interplay of hormonal, environmental, and epigenetic signals in senescence regulation, as well as emerging senescence signals including reactive oxygen species, small peptides, and copper redistribution. These insights contribute to understanding plant senescence mechanisms and have implications for crop breeding and stress tolerance research.