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Effect of modified endogenous ethylene production on sex expression, bisexual flower development and fruit production in melon (Cucumis melo L.)

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Abstract

Members of the Cucurbitaceae family display a range of sexual phenotypes including various combinations of male, female, or bisexual flowers. Ethylene appears to be a key hormone regulating the sex determination process. Application of ethylene, or inhibition of ethylene action, increases or decreases the number of pistil-bearing buds, respectively. Elevated levels of ethylene production and expression of genes for ethylene biosynthesis, have been correlated with pistillate flower production. In this study, we sought to determine the effect of modified endogenous ethylene production on sex expression by constitutively expressing ACS (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase), the first committed enzyme for ethylene biosynthesis, in transgenic melons (Cucumis melo L.). Most melon genotypes are andromonoecious, where an initial phase of male flowers is followed by a mixture of bisexual and male flowers. ACS melon plants showed increased ethylene production by leaves and flower buds, and increased femaleness as measured by earlier and increased number of bisexual buds. ACS melons also had earlier and increased number of bisexual buds that matured to anthesis, suggesting that ethylene is important not only for sex determination, but also for development of the bisexual bud to maturity. Field studies showed that ACS melons had earlier mature bisexual flowers, earlier fruit set, and increased number of fruit set on closely spaced nodes on the main stem. These results provide a direct demonstration of the importance of endogenous ethylene production for female reproductive processes in melon.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Randy Woodson (Purdue University) for providing the petunia ACS cDNA, Drs Randy Beaudry and David Dilley for providing GC equipment and advice for the ethylene and ACC measurements, Dr. Kostas Viachonasios for assistance with the T1 northern blots, Mr Bill Chase and Gary Winchell for assistance with field plot preparation and maintenance, and Drs Randy Beaudry and Ning Jiang for helpful reviews of the manuscript. This project was in part supported by BARD grant IS-3139-99 and by a USDA-NNF fellowship to HAL.

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  1. Plant and Soil Sciences Building, Graduate Program in Plant Breeding and Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Ekaterina Papadopoulou, Holly Ann Little, Sue Ann Hammar & Rebecca Grumet

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  1. Ekaterina Papadopoulou
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  2. Holly Ann Little
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Correspondence to Rebecca Grumet.

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Papadopoulou, E., Little, H.A., Hammar, S.A. et al. Effect of modified endogenous ethylene production on sex expression, bisexual flower development and fruit production in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Sex Plant Reprod 18, 131–142 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-005-0006-0

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