Four shades of detachment: Regulation of floral organ abscission

Abscission of floral organs from the main body of a plant is a dynamic process that is developmentally and environmentally regulated. In the past decade, genetic studies in Arabidopsis have identified key signaling components and revealed their interactions in the regulation of floral organ abscission. The phytohormones jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene play critical roles in flower development and floral organ abscission. These hormones regulate the timing of floral organ abscission both independently and inter-dependently. Although significant progress has been made in understanding abscission signaling, there are still many unanswered questions. These include considering abscission in the context of reproductive development and interplay between hormones embedded in the developmental processes. This review summarizes recent advances in the identification of molecular components in Arabidopsis and discusses their relationship with reproductive development. The emerging roles of hormones in the regulation of floral organ abscission, particularly by JA and ethylene, are examined.