Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of some plant growth regulator treatments on apple fruit ripening

  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The activity of IAA oxidase (IAAox), peroxidases (POD), and polyphenoloxidases (PPO), as affected by different pre-harvest growth regulator treatments (ABA, AVG, NAA, PDJ), was determined in on-tree ripening apples (cv. “Golden Delicious”) before and during the ethylene climacteric. The production of ethylene was inhibited by AVG and delayed by NAA, whereas ABA and PDJ treatments caused, in the on-tree remaining fruits, a marked fruit drop and a decrease or a slight increase in ethylene levels respectively. While all treatments reduced POD activity, jasmonate increased IAAox and PPO activity. The inhibitory effect of NAA on all enzyme activity seems related to interference with C2H2 action or to a reduced sensitivity of the fruit abscission zone tissues to the hormone. The observed high fruit drop induced by ABA treatment made it impossible to detect differences in enzyme activity. AVG-treated fruits showed no substantial effects on IAAox and PPO activity in comparison to the control, a finding that seems to be related to a delay in all senescence processes caused by the very low level of the inhibited ethylene production. In control fruits IAAox activity increased during the initial ripening stages and decreased thereafter, POD activity increased throughout ripening and PPO showed little variation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brady CJ (1987) Fruit ripening. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 38: 155-178

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cohen JD, Ilic N, Taylor R, Dunlap JR and Slovin JP (1995) Auxin localization and metabolism during fruit growth and ripening in cantaloupe. In: G Lester and J Dunlap et al. (eds) Cucurbitaceae '94, pp 104-109. Gateway Printing, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Coseteng MY and Lee CY (1987) Changes in apple polyphenoloxidase and polyphenol concentrations in relation to degree of browning. J Food Sci 52(4): 985-989

    Google Scholar 

  4. Czapski J, Saniewski M, Puchalski J, Lange E and Nowacki J (1988) The effect of methyl jasmonate on activity and electrophoretic pattern of polyphenol oxidase isoenzymes in postclimacteric apples cv. Jonathan. Fruit science reports XV(3): 103-110

    Google Scholar 

  5. Du Z and Bramlage WJ (1995) Peroxidative activity of apple peel in relation to development of poststorage disorders. HortSci 30(2): 205-209

    Google Scholar 

  6. Edgerton LJ (1971) Apple abscission. HortSci 6(4): 378-382

    Google Scholar 

  7. Frenkel C (1972) Involvement of peroxidase and indole-3-acetic acid oxidase isozymes from pear, tomato, and blueberry fruit in ripening. Plant Physiol 49: 757-763

    Google Scholar 

  8. Frenkel C and Dyck R (1973) Auxin inhibition of ripening in Bartlett pears. Plant Physiol 51: 6-9

    Google Scholar 

  9. Frenkel C and Eskin M (1977) Ethylene evolution as related to changes in hydroperoxides in ripening tomato fruit. HortSci 12(6): 552-553

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gardiman M, Masia A and Ponchia G (1993) Some biochemical aspects of adventitious rooting of stooling propagated chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.). Proc Int Cong on Chestnut. Spoleto, Italy, October 20-23, 1993 pp. 191-194

  11. Gardner HW (1995) Biological roles and biochemistry of the lipoxygenase pathway. HortSci 30(2): 197-205

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gianfagna T (1995) Natural and synthetic growth regulators and their use in horticultural and agronomic crops. In: PJ Davies (ed) Plant hormones. Physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, pp 751-753. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gorin N and Heidema FT (1976) Peroxidase activity in Golden Delicious apples as a possible parameter of ripening and senescence. J Agric Food Chem 24(1): 200-201

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hall WC and Morgan PW (1964) Auxin-ethylene interrelationships. In: JP Nitsch (ed) Regulateurs Naturels de la Croissance Vegetale. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, pp 727-745. Paris: C.N.R.S. Éditions

    Google Scholar 

  15. Izzo R, Scartazza A, Masia A, Galleschi L, Quartacci MF and Navari-Izzo F (1995) Lipid evolution during development and ripening of peach fruits. Phytochem 39(6): 1329-1334

    Google Scholar 

  16. Knee M, Looney NE, Hatfield GS, and Smith SM (1983) Initiation of rapid ethylene synthesis by apple and pear fruits in relation to storage temperature. J Exp Bot 34(146): 1207-1212

    Google Scholar 

  17. Knee M (1989) Ethylene and polygalacturonase - what else is involved in cell separation in ripening fruit?. In: DJ Osborne and MB Jackson (eds) Cell separation in plants NATO ASI Series, Vol. H35, pp 145-154. Heidelberg, Berlin: Springer-Verlag

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kondo S and Gemma H (1993) Relationship between abscisic acid (ABA) content and maturation of the sweet cherry. J Japan Soc Hort Sci 62(1): 63-68

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ludford PM (1995) Postharvest hormone changes in vegetables and fruit. In: PJ Davies (ed) Plant hormones. Physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, pp 725-750. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  20. Marquès L, Fleuriet A and Macheix J-J (1995) Characterization of multiple forms of polyphenoloxidase from apple fruit. Plant Physiol Biochem 33(2): 193-200

    Google Scholar 

  21. Masia A, Zanchin A, Rascio N and Ramina A (1992) Some biochemical and ultrastructural aspects of peach fruit development. J Amer Soc Hort Sci 117(5): 808-815

    Google Scholar 

  22. McGlasson WB, Wade NL and Adato I (1978) Phytohormones and fruit ripening. In: DS Letham, PB Goodwin and TJV Higgins (eds) Phytohormones and related compounds - a comprehensive treatise. Vol II, pp 447-493. Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mellenthin WM and Wang CY (1974) Friction discoloration of “d'Anjou” pears in relation to fruit size, maturity, storage and polyphenoloxidase activities. Hortsci 9: 592-593

    Google Scholar 

  24. Montgomery MW and Sgarbieri VC (1975) Isoenzymes of banana polyphenol oxidase. Phytochem 14: 1245-1249

    Google Scholar 

  25. Mousdale DMA and Knee M (1981) Indolyl-3-acetic acid and ethylene levels in ripening apple fruits. J Exp Bot 32(129): 753-758

    Google Scholar 

  26. Oetiker JH and Yang SF (1995) The role of ethylene in fruit ripening. Acta Hort 398: 167-178

    Google Scholar 

  27. Picton S, Gray JE and Grierson D (1995) Ethylene genes and fruit ripening. In: PJ Davies (ed) Plant hormones. Physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, pp 372-394. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  28. Rhodes MJC (1980) The maturation and ripening in fruits. In: KV Thimann (ed) Senescence in plants, pp 157-205. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rothan C and Nicolas J (1989) Changes in acidic and basic peroxidase activities during tomato fruit ripening. HortSci 24(2): 340-342

    Google Scholar 

  30. Saniewski M (1995) Methyl jasmonate in relation to ethylene production and other physiological processes in selected horticultural crops. Acta Hort 394: 85-98

    Google Scholar 

  31. Smith PK, Krohn RI, Hermanson GT, Mallia AK, Gartner FH, Provenzano MD, Fujimoto EK, Goeke NM, Olson BJ and Klenk DC (1985) Measurement of protein using bicinchoninic acid. Anal Biochem 150: 76-85

    Google Scholar 

  32. Staswick PE (1995) Jasmonate activity in plants. In: PJ Davies (ed) Plant hormones. Physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, pp 179-187. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  33. Thomas RL, Jen JJ and Morr CV (1981) Changes in soluble and bound peroxidase-IAA oxidase during tomato fruit development. J Food Sci 47: 158-161

    Google Scholar 

  34. Tucker GA (1993) Introduction. In: GB Seymour, JE Taylor and GA Tucker (eds) Biochemistry of fruit ripening, pp 1-51. London: Chapman &; Hall

    Google Scholar 

  35. Vaughn KC, Lax AR and Duke SO (1988) Polyphenol oxidase: The chloroplast oxidase with no established function. Physiol Plant 72: 659-665

    Google Scholar 

  36. Walsh CS, Swartz HJ and Edgerton LJ (1979) Ethylene evolution in apple following post-bloom thinning sprays. HortSci 14: 704–706

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Hiroshi Gemma

    Present address: Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Colture Arboree, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Andrea Masia, Maurizo Ventura, Hiroshi Gemma & Silviero Sansavini

Authors
  1. Andrea Masia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maurizo Ventura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hiroshi Gemma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Silviero Sansavini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Masia, A., Ventura, M., Gemma, H. et al. Effect of some plant growth regulator treatments on apple fruit ripening. Plant Growth Regulation 25, 127–134 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006081826510

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006081826510

Search

Navigation