Age- and size-related trends in woody plant shoot development: regulatory pathways and evidence for genetic control

Abstract

Woody plants exhibit significant and predictable patterns of change in morphology and physiology as they become older and larger. Four models of potential pathways controlling these changes are presented: a stimulus-response model in which fully developed organs respond to changes in environment (defined here as everything external to the organ); an extrinsic model in which the attributes of developing organs are determined by environmental factors; an intrinsic model in which changes are a result of programmed changes in gene expression; and an extrinsic-intrinsic model in which changes in gene expression are induced by environmental factors. We review evidence that a genetic component is involved in controlling age- and size-related changes in foliar morphology and physiology and discuss the possibility of complex interactions among model pathways.