Interaction of Kinetin and Calcium in Relation to Their Effect on Stimulation of Ethylene Production

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Abstract
Application of kinetin and Ca2+ caused a striking synergistic increase in ethylene production by mung bean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb) hypocotyl segments. The effect of kinetin on Ca2+ uptake and of Ca2+ on the uptake and metabolism of kinetin in relation to their effect on ethylene production was studied. Tracer experiments showed that kinetin greatly increased the uptake of 45Ca2+ after 6 hours of incubation. Reciprocally, Ca2+ stimulated the uptake of kinetin-8-14C and remarkably enhanced the metabolism of kinetin-8-14C into several polar metabolites. Consequently, the quantity of free kinetin-8-14C remaining in Ca2+-treated segments was much less than in control segments. A possible mechanism accounting for the synergism between kinetin and calcium on ethylene production is discussed.