Ethylene-Promoted Conversion of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic Acid to Ethylene in Peel of Apple at Various Stages of Fruit Development

Abstract

Internal ethylene concentration, ability to convert 1-amino-cyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene (ethylene-forming enzyme IEFEI activity) and ACC content in the peel of apples (Malus domestica Borkh., cv Golden Delicious) increased only slightly during fruit maturation on the tree. Treatment of immature apples with 100 microliters ethylene per liter for 24 hours increased EFE activity in the peel tissue, but did not induce an increase in ethylene production. This ability of apple peel tissue to respond to ethylene with elevated EFE activity increased exponentially during maturation on the tree. After harvest of mature preclimacteric apples previously treated with aminoethoxyvinylglycine, 0.05 microliter per liter ethylene did not immediately cause a rapid increase of development in EFE activity in peel tissue. However, 0.5 microliter per liter ethylene and higher concentrations did. The ethylene concentration for half-maximal promotion of EFE development was estimated to be approximately 0.9 microliter per liter. CO2 partially inhibited the rapid increase of ethylene-promoted development of EFE activity. It is suggested that ethylene-promoted CO2 production is involved in the regulation of autocatalytic ethylene production in apples.

The fading distinctions between classical patterns of ripening in climacteric and non-climacteric fruit and the ubiquity of ethylene—An overview

“…Therefore, fruits have been classified as climacteric or non-climacteric according to their respiratory patterns (Biale 1964). Response of fruit to exogenous ethylene treatment has shown that this can also serve to distinguish between climacteric and non-climacteric fruits (McMurchie et al 1972;Bufler 1986). Application of propylene (an analogue of ethylene) was reported to initiate an increase in respiration in climacteric fruits as well as in non-climacteric fruits but a propylene mediated induction or rise in endogenous ethylene production occurred only in climacteric fruit (McMurchie et al 1972;Yamane et al 2007).…”

Role of internal atmosphere on fruit ripening and storability—a review

“…Using a continuous flow through gas system, it has been demonstrated that 20% CO 2 markedly decreases ethylene biosynthesis in ripening peaches by delaying and suppressing ACC-synthase at transcriptional level however, recovery occurs upon withdrawal of CO 2 (Mathooko et al 2001). At low concentrations (of about 1%), CO 2 may promote ethylene production in climacteric fruits (Bufler 1986;Chavez-Franco and Kader 1993). At low levels, stimulatory effect of CO 2 on the production of ethylene could be due to a balance between its stimulatory effect on the activity of ACC-oxidase and inhibitory effect on the activity of ACCsynthase wherein the contribution by the former being more significant (Mathooko 1996).…”

“…Fruit ripening involves many physiological, biochemical and developmental changes occurring through a coordinated and genetically regulated programme (Stepanova and Alonso 2005;Barry and Giovannoni 2007;Bouzayen et al 2010). Fruits, in general, show two distinctive respiratory patterns during the course of ripening and on this basis fruits are categorized into climacteric and non-climacteric groups (Biale 1964;McMurchie et al 1972;Biale and Young 1981;Bufler 1986;Abeles et al 1992; Lelievre et al 1997;Yamane et al 2007). Apple, mango, papaya, guava, kiwi, tomato, cherimoya, banana, pear, apricot, peach, plum, avocado and plantain etc.…”

Aminoethoxyvinylglycine: isolated and combined with other growth regulators on quality of ‘Brookfield’ apples after storage

“…The following physical, chemical and biochemical parameters were evaluated: i) ACC oxidase enzyme activity: evaluated according to the methodology proposed by Bufler (1986); ii) ethylene production: determined by the storage of approximately 1.5 kg of fruits in a container with a volume of 5 L, that was hermetically sealed for approximately 1 h. Then two aliquots of 1 mL of each container were drawn and injected into a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and a Porapak N80/100 column. The temperatures of the column, the injector and the detector were 90, 140 and 200 °C respectively.…”