A very interesting question. Programmed cell death or apoptosis is something that occurs naturally and is necessary, especially in the early stage of life; in plants too it would be so, especially in the growing parts. In contrast, mitotic catastrophe leads to cell death by failure of the cell metabolism and other mechanisms to keep up with nuclear and DNa 'growth', and is pathological. They, I presume, will have an inverse relationship. This I expect would be so even if the growth rate is fast. For example, in oral cancers, rapid growth was associated with increased abnormal mitosis (see my papers in Research Gate), apoptosis was absent (at least we couldn't get any by cytology) at all growth rates.

In plants too, I think apoptosis is associated with rapid growth rate. In bamboo, which have the greatest growth rate of all living beings, the apoptosis results in their having hollow stems. There is no necrosis, unless of course there is some pathological infection. Bamboo salts can induce apoptosis in many cancer cells too. I think Papaya also has a rapid growth rate and its stem is also hollow, and could be due to apoptosis (my personal thought).

This is an exciting area of research and I am sure that there will be more and better answers from plant experts

Narayanan Bhattathiri

Very likely they are related

Dr Azeez is right, and the relation is likely to be inverse.

Narayanan

Not everything is apoptosis...have you done electron microscope studies on Bamboo?

I am particularly interested on inverse aging of leaf in graminae (sugarcane). I suspect that there is a radical or accelerated programmed cell death in sugarcane when there is random current of extremely hot air passing through canopies. Could it happen on cell cyclic process? Apoptosis may be different from this process but have no evidence. Will DNA laddering and chromatin condensation give any clue?  

Dear Jayampathi

I am not an expert on agriculture, but here the effect is likely due to the water loss and hyperthermia; both are important for Oncologists, since hyperthermia has been investigated as anticancer therapy.

Here, apoptosis/necrosis etc., should be of secondary importance only. Loss of water may lead to inefficient effect/disperasl/etc., of heat shock proteins which in turn increases effect of the heat which in turn leads to protein denaturing etc and cell death. What you might need methods to build up the efficiency of HSP.  The following may be helpful:

http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/101/3/939.full.pdf

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10535-011-0014-x#page-1

www.plantphysiol.org/content/101/3/939.full.pdf

For sugarcane specifically you will have to devise your own methods from your own experience and ideas.

Narayanan