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. 1982 Jul;70(1):162–167. doi: 10.1104/pp.70.1.162

Ethylene Biosynthesis and Cadmium Toxicity in Leaf Tissue of Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) 1

JüRg Fuhrer 1,2
PMCID: PMC1067105  PMID: 16662438

Abstract

Stress ethylene production in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Taylor's Horticultural) leaf tissue was stimulated by Cd2+ at concentrations above 1 micromolar. Cd2+-induced ethylene biosynthesis was dependent upon synthesis of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) by ACC synthase. Activity of ACC synthase and ethylene production rate peaked at 8 h of treatment. The subsequent decline in enzyme activity was most likely due to inactivation of the enzyme by Cd2+, which inhibited ACC synthase activity in vitro at concentrations as low as 0.1 micromolar. Decrease in ethylene production rate was accompanied by leakage of solutes and increasing inhibition of ACC-dependent ethylene production. Ca2+, present during a 2-hour preincubation, reduced the effect of Cd2+ on leakage and ACC conversion. This suggests that Cd2+ exerts its toxicity through membrane damage and inactivation of enzymes. The possibility of an indirect stimulation of ethylene biosynthesis through a wound signal from injured cells is discussed.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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