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. 1974 Oct;54(4):506–511. doi: 10.1104/pp.54.4.506

Similarities between the Actions of Ethylene and Cyanide in Initiating the Climacteric and Ripening of Avocados 1

Theophanes Solomos a, George G Laties a
PMCID: PMC367443  PMID: 16658918

Abstract

A continuous exposure of intact avocados (Persea americana) to 400 μl/l of cyanide results in a rapid increase in the rate of respiration, followed by a rise in ethylene production, and eventual ripening. The pattern of changes in the glycolytic intermediates glucose 6-phosphate, fructose diphosphate, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, and phosphoenolpyruvate during the rapid rise in respiration in both ethylene and cyanide-treated fruits is similar to that found in fruits made anaerobic where a 2.3- to 3-fold increase in the rate of glycolysis is observed. It is suggested that both during the climacteric and in response to cyanide, glycolysis is enhanced. It is proposed that cyanide implements the diversion of electrons to the cyanide-resistant electron path through structural alterations which are independent of the simultaneous inhibition of cytochrome oxidase.

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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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