Abstract
Ethylene production and senescence of petals of pollinated carnation flowers were not prevented by removal of the ethylene produced by the gynoecium, suggesting that these events are a response to movement from the gynoecium of some stimulus other than ethylene gas. Application of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to the stigmas caused an initial increase in gynoecium and petal ethylene production similar to that reported for pollinated flowers. This response was not seen in flowers whose stigmas were treated with indoleacetic acid (IAA). When [2-14C]ACC was applied to the stigmas of carnation flowers, radioactive ethylene was produced both by the gynoecia and by the petals. The possibility that ACC, transported from the stigmas to the petals, is responsible for the postpollination changes in carnation flowers is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams DO, Yang SF (1979) Ethylene biosynthesis: Identification of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid as an intermediate in the conversion of methionine to ethylene. Proc Natl Acad Sci 76:170–174
Arditti J, Hogan NM, Chadwick AV (1973) Post-pollination phenomena in orchid flowers. IV. Effects of ethylene. Am J Bot 60:883–888
Boller TO, Herner RC, Kende H (1979) Assay for and enzymatic formation of an ethylene precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. Planta 145:293–303
Bradford KJ, Yang SF (1980) Xylem transport of 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid, an ethylene precursor, in waterlogged tomato plants. Plant Physiol 65:322–326
Bufler G, Reid MS, Yang SF (1980) Changes in 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid content of cut carnation flowers in relation to their senescence. Planta 150:439–442
Burg SP, Dijkman MJ (1967) Ethylene and auxin participation in pollen induced fading ofVanda orchid blossoms. Plant Physiol 42:1648–1650
Curtis JT (1943) An unusual pollen reaction inPhaleonopsis. Am Orchid Soc Bull 11:258–260
De Greef JA, De Proft M, De Winter F (1976) Gas chromatographic determination of ethylene in large air volumes at the fractional parts-per-billion level. Anal Chem 48:38–40
Gilissen LJW (1977) Style-controlled wilting of the flower. Planta 133:275–280
Hall IV, Forsyth FR (1967) Production of ethylene by flowers following pollination and treatments with water and auxin. Can J Bot 45:1163–1166
Nichols R (1971) Induction of flower senescence and gynoecium development in the carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) by ethylene and 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid. J Hort Sci 46:323–332
Nichols R (1977) Sites of ethylene production in the pollinated and unpollinated senescing carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) inflorescence. Planta 135:155–159
Nichols R, Bufler G, Mor Y, Fujino DW, Reid MS (1983) Changes in ethylene production and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid content of pollinated carnation flowers. J Plant Growth Regul 2:1–8
Strauss MS, Arditti J (1982) Postpollination phenomena in orchid flowers. X. Transport and fate of auxin. Bot Gaz 143:286–293
Whitehead CS, Fujino DW, Reid MS (1983a) The roles of pollen ACC and pollen tube growth in ethylene production by carnations. Acta Hort 141:221–227
Whitehead CS, Fujino DW, Reid MS (1983b) Identification of the ethylene precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), in pollen. Sci Hort 21:291–297
Whitehead CS, Halevy AH, Reid MS (1983) Roles of ethylene and ACC in pollination and woundinduced senescence ofPetunia hybrida. Planta (submitted)
Wulster G, Sacalis J, Janes HW (1982) Senescence in isolated carnation petals. Plant Physiol 70:1039–1043
Yu YB, Adams DO, Yang SF (1979) 1-Aminocyclopropanecarboxylate synthase, a key enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis. Arch Biochem Biophys 198:280–286
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
On leave from the Department of Botany, Potchefstroom University for CHE, Potchefstroom, South Africa 2520
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reid, M.S., Fujino, D.W., Hoffman, N.E. et al. 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC)—The transmitted stimulus in pollinated flowers?. J Plant Growth Regul 3, 189–196 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02042003
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02042003