Abstract
The effect of ethylene on chlorophyll degradation in the peel of Robinson tangerine (X Citrus reticulata Blanco) and calamondin (X Citrofortunellamitis [Blanco] Ingram and Moore) fruits was studied. The chlorophyll degrading system in the peel of these two citrus species was not self-sustaining but required ethylene to function. Chlorophyll degradation ceased immediately when fruit were removed from ethylene and held in ethylene-free air at 0.2 atmospheric pressure. However, at atmospheric pressure, chlorophyll degradation continued for 24 hours in the absence of exogenous ethylene. Although chlorophyllase levels were negatively correlated with chlorophyll content in the peel (r = −0.981; P < 0.01), the level of chlorophyllase activity did not change when fruit were removed from ethylene, even though chlorophyll degradation had stopped. From these observations, it was concluded that ethylene is necessary for chlorophyll degradation in the two species of citrus studied, but its primary role is not solely for the induction of chlorophyllase activity.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Apelbaum A., Goldschmidt E. E., Ben-Yehoshua S. Involvement of endogenous ethylene in the induction of color change in shamouti oranges. Plant Physiol. 1976 May;57(5):836–838. doi: 10.1104/pp.57.5.836. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Eaks I. L. Respiratory Response, Ethylene Production, and Response to Ethylene of Citrus Fruit during Ontogeny. Plant Physiol. 1970 Mar;45(3):334–338. doi: 10.1104/pp.45.3.334. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Purvis A. C. Sequence of Chloroplast Degreening in Calamondin Fruit as Influenced by Ethylene and AgNO(3). Plant Physiol. 1980 Oct;66(4):624–627. doi: 10.1104/pp.66.4.624. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Reid M. S., Pratt H. K. Effects of ethylene on potato tuber respiration. Plant Physiol. 1972 Feb;49(2):252–255. doi: 10.1104/pp.49.2.252. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- de la Roche A. I. Increase in linolenic Acid is not a prerequisite for development of freezing tolerance in wheat. Plant Physiol. 1979 Jan;63(1):5–8. doi: 10.1104/pp.63.1.5. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]