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Incorporation of Ethylene into Fruits

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Abstract

ETHYLENE, a unique constituent in the emanations of many plants and fruits, is known to be related to the physiological responses of many harvested fruits and vegetables1. The presence of ethylene in extremely low concentration in the atmosphere surrounding immature fruits accelerates the onset of the climacteric in most fruits by some mechanism as yet unknown. While ethylene production in fruits may be correlated in many cases with the climacteric rise in their production of carbon dioxide2, it is still not clear whether ethylene induces the climacteric rise in the nature of autostimulation or, as suggested by Biale et al.2, ethylene is merely a by-product of fruits at a certain stage of maturity.

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References

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Author notes

  1. D. R. BUHLER

    Present address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oregon Medical School, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

  2. D. R. BUHLER: Taken in part from the Ph.D. thesis of D. R. Buhler, Oregon State College, 1956.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Chemistry and Horticulture, Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon

    D. R. BUHLER, E. HANSEN & C. H. WANG

Authors
  1. D. R. BUHLER
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  2. E. HANSEN
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  3. C. H. WANG
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BUHLER, D., HANSEN, E. & WANG, C. Incorporation of Ethylene into Fruits. Nature 179, 48–49 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/179048a0

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