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. 2017 Feb 8;8:126. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00126

Figure 9.

Figure 9

Specific cellular and molecular events involved in the dissolution of the middle lamella, the disassembly of cell walls and the synthesis and deposition of lignin in the AZ-C during ethylene-promoted abscission. The AZ-C consists of two different cell areas, the Divided Cells Area (DCA) and the Starch-rich Area (SA). The early cellular and molecular events associated with citrus fruit abscission occur in the central core of the AZ-C between the axial vascular bundles and spread up to the calyx button periphery reaching then the floral disc. The final outcome of this cell separation process is the shedding of the fruit remaining the calyx button attached to the tree as shown in the inset of the upper-left corner of the figure. Two parallel cellular events involving cell wall dissolution and synthesis and deposition of lignin occurred specifically in the SA of the AZ-C cells during abscission. These cellular events are potentially promoted by the tissue-specific expression of particular members of several gene families that have been clearly involved in those metabolic pathways.