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Biochemical and molecular aspects of fruitlet abscission

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Abstract

Fruitlet abscission during fruit development is due to the activation ofpre-differentiated abscission zones (AZs) located between twig andpedicel, and/or pedicel and pericarp. Major advances on biochemicaland molecular aspects are related to β-1,4-endoglucanase (EG) andpolygalacturonase (PG), two cell hydrolases involved in the cell walldisassemblement responsible for fruit shedding. AZ activation isaccompanied by an increase in activity and transcript accumulation ofone or both enzymes. Expression of PG genes specifically related toabscission has been found in tomato flower AZ. In peach, an EG genehighly expressed in leaf and fruitlet AZs has been isolated. AZactivation is preceded by an induction of ethylene biosynthesis,paralleled by a stimulation of ACO activity and transcript accumulation.Ethylene, besides a dramatic stimulation of PG and EG, up or downregulates several other abscission related genes. The specificexpression of genes encoding for ethylene receptors in the AZ wouldsupport the hypothesis that fruitlet AZ specificity may depend on theability of this region to sense ethylene.

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  1. Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Science, University of Padova, Agripolis, 35020, Legnaro (Padova), Italy

    C. Bonghi, P. Tonutti & A. Ramina

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  1. C. Bonghi
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  2. P. Tonutti
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  3. A. Ramina
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Bonghi, C., Tonutti, P. & Ramina, A. Biochemical and molecular aspects of fruitlet abscission. Plant Growth Regulation 31, 35–42 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006338210977

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