Plant Physiol. Drug Metab Dispos
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Plant Physiology 97:706-713 (1991)
© 1991 American Society of Plant Biologists

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, A. D.
Right arrow Articles by Labavitch, J. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, A. D.
Right arrow Articles by Labavitch, J. M.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Campbell, A. D.
Right arrow Articles by Labavitch, J. M.
Development and Growth Regulation

Induction and Regulation of Ethylene Biosynthesis and Ripening by Pectic Oligomers in Tomato Pericarp Discs 1

Alan D. Campbell2 and John M. Labavitch

Department of Pomology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616

The effect of pectic oligomers and 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid on ethylene biosynthesis and color change was studied in ripening tomato pericarp discs excised from mature-green tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Pectic oligomers induced at least four distinct responses when added to pericarp discs: (a) a short-term, transient increase in ethylene biosynthesis; (b) a long-term, persistent increase in climacteric ethylene in discs excised from mature-green fruit; (c) an advance in ripening processes, as indicated by increased reddening of the disc surfaces; and (d) a darkening of the treated endocarp surface. Pectic oligomers appear to affect the ripening of exocarp and endocarp tissues by different mechanisms. In exocarp tissues, the acceleration of reddening by pectic oligomers might simply be a consequence of induced ethylene biosynthesis. In endocarp tissues, the acceleration of reddening appears to be a direct effect of oligomers on ripening processes. We suggest that the rate of ripening of endocarp tissues may be regulated, in part, by the release of pectic oligomers from the cell walls of adjacent exocarp tissues. Exocarp and endocarp tissues of pericarp discs appear to differ in their sensitivity to ethylene at each maturity stage, and to exhibit independent changes in sensitivity to ethylene as ripening progresses. The tissue-specific pattern of reddening in tomato pericarp may result from this differential sensitivity to endogenous ethylene concentrations.

2 Current address: Plant Gene Expression Center, ARS-USDA, 800 Buchanan St., Albany, CA 94710, and Department of Plant Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720.

1 This research was supported by the Regional Research U.S. Department of Agriculture Project N.E. 87.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ASPB Publications PLANT PHYSIOLOGY THE PLANT CELL
Copyright © 1991 by the American Society of Plant Biologists