The Adaptive Significance of Juvenile Leaf Reddening: A Case Study in Photinia serratifolia

Chenzhuo Wang; Letian Yin; Yihan Tian

doi:10.54097/z8gvke02

Authors

Chenzhuo Wang
Letian Yin
Yihan Tian

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/z8gvke02

Keywords:

Juvenile Redding, Anthocyanin, Photoprotection, Aposematism, Photinia Serratifolia

Abstract

Juvenile reddening is a widespread plant physiological phenomenon, which means reddening of young leaves that gradually turn green with maturity as anthocyanins degrade and chlorophyll accumulates. Anthocyanin is a type of common pigment in plants, such as in juvenile leaves, petals, fruits, and stems. Juvenile reddening is a widespread plant physiological phenomenon, and there are two popular hypotheses about the evolutionary significance of juvenile reddening, which is anthocyanin photoprotection hypothesis and aposematic signaling hypothesis. This study aims to verify these two hypotheses on Photinia serratifolia. Our results suggest that the red juvenile leaves of Photinia serratifolia with 43-fold higher anthocyanins concentration than the green mature leaves showed 9.5-fold smaller rise in MDA concentration after three hours of light-stress treatment, suggesting impressive photoprotection activity and thus supports the photoprotection hypothesis. The larvae of Actias ningpoana and Thosea sinensis showed no significant difference in preference to green color of in light and dark condition, so the aposematic signaling hypothesis is not supported respect to P. serratifolia and Actias ningpoana and Thosea sinensis larvae.

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