Carbon dioxide and ethylene interactions in tulip bulbs

Abstract

The effect of CO2 on ethylene-induced gummosis (secretion of polysaccharides), weight loss and respiration in tulip bulbs (Tulipa gesneriana L.) was investigated. A pretreatment with 1-MCP prevented these ethylene-induced effects, indicating that ethylene action must have been directed via the ethylene receptor. Treatment with 0.3 Pa ethylene for 2 days caused gummosis on 50% of the total number of bulbs of cultivar Apeldoorn, known to be sensitive for gummosis. Addition of CO2 (10 kPa) reduced the ethylene-induced gummosis to 18%. In a second experiment the influence of ethylene and CO2 on respiration and FW loss of bulbs of the cultivar Leen van der Mark was studied. A range of ethylene partial pressures (0.003-0.3 Pa) was applied continuously for 29 days. Ethylene caused a transient peak in O2 consumption rate during the first days after the start of application. The relation between O2 consumption rate and ethylene partial pressure could be described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Respiratory peaks were reduced by CO2. This inhibition by CO2 could not totally be due to competition with ethylene at the receptor binding-site, as was indicated by the use of an O2 consumption model. Pre-treatment of bulbs with 1-MCP and subsequent exposure to CO2 showed that CO2 could influence respiration irrespective of any interaction with ethylene. Ethylene and CO2 both stimulated weight loss. The effect of combined treatments of ethylene and CO2 on weight loss was at least as strong as the sum of the separate effects, which implies that competition between ethylene and CO2 at the receptor binding-site was unlikely.

Compounds Interacting with the Ethylene Receptor in Plants

“…Serek and Sisler, 2001 Geranium (Pelargonium hortorum) Jones et al, 2001;b Kalancho Kebenei et al, 2003Serek and Reid, 2000;Serek et al, 1994; b Oriental hybrid lilies (Lilium) Celikel et al, 2002Rosa hybrida Müller et al, 2000Serek et al, 1994; b Schlumbergera truncata Serek and Sisler, 2001 Tulip De Wild et al, 2002Lathyrus odoratus Kebenei et al, 2003 nents ± firmness and apple crunchiness, taste and juice content, right through to the consumer (Baritelle et al, 2001;DeEll et al, 2002;Mattheis, 1999 a, b, 2001;Fan et al, a, b, 2001Jiang and Joyce, 2002;Mir et al, 2001;Watkins et al, 2000;Zanella, 2001). In addition, 1-MCP controls superficial scald disorder (Rupasinghe et al, 2000).…”

Identification of jasmonic acid and its methyl ester as gum-inducing factors in tulips

“…Ethylene or ethylene-generating compounds applied exogenously to stone-fruit trees such as plum, peach, apricot (Nair et al 1980;Olien and Bukovac 1982;Boothby 1983;Morrison et al 1987;Saniewski et al 1998aSaniewski et al , 2002Ueda et al 2003) and tulip bulbs (Kamerbeek and De Munk 1976;De Hertogh et al 1980;De Munk and Saniewski 1989;De Wild et al 2002) substantially induce gummosis. Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (JA-Me) applied exogenously to the first internode of tulip stems as lanolin paste clearly produced gums with ethylene production (Saniewski and Puchalski 1988;Saniewski et al 1998bSaniewski et al , 2000.…”

Jasmonates are essential factors inducing gummosis in tulips: mode of action of jasmonates focusing on sugar metabolism

“…Apeldoorn) bulbs, infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tulipae and application of ethylene or ethylene-releasing compound, ethephon, have been found to induce gums (Kamerbeek and De Munk, 1976;De Hertogh et al, 1980;De Munk and Saniewski, 1989;De Wild et al, 2002).…”