Studies on the Ethylene Production of Apple Tissue

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Abstract
Gas chromatography was used to study ethylene production by Mclntosh apples. Compared with the whole fruit, tissue sections have a decreased rate of ethylene production and an accelerated respiration. Soaking the tissue in water for 60 minutes does not affect the respiration but-depresses the ethylene production by more than 50%. This inhibition could be partially or completely prevented by high concentrations of a variety of organic and inorganic substances. The mechanism producing ethylene is probably located in an osmotically active particle and appears to withstand skrinkage but not swelling of the particle. The inhibition following water soaking is attributed to the rapid leakage of water and solute which occurs; this leads to a decreased solute concentration in the cell. Fluoride, dinitrophenol (DNP), fluoro-acetate, arsenite, iodoacetamide, and bisulfite all inhibited ethylene production and respiration to about the same extent over wide concentration ranges and in each case with equivalent thresholds. The inhibitions caused by DNP and fluoride were reversed partially by ATP and other energy sources, suggesting the participation of energy from respiration in the synthesis of ethylene.