Glycolysis at the climacteric of bananas

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Abstract
This work was carried out to investigate the relative roles of phosphofructokinase and pyrophosphate—fructose‐6‐phosphate 1 ‐phosphotransferase during the increased glycolysis at the climacteric in ripening bananas (Musa cavendishii Lamb ex Paxton). Fruit were ripened in the dark in a continuous stream of air in the absence of ethylene. CO2 production, the contents of glucose 6‐phosphate, fructose 6‐phosphate, fructose 1, 6‐bisphosphate, phosphoeno/pyruvate and PPi; and the maximum catalytic activities of pyrophosphate—fructose‐6‐phosphate 1‐phosphotransferase, 6‐phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase were measured over a 12‐day period that included the climacteric. Cytosolic fructose‐1, 6‐bisphosphatase could not be detected in extracts of climacteric fruit. The peak of CO2 production was preceded by a threefold rise in phosphofructokinase, and accompanied by falls in fructose 6‐phosphate and glucose 6‐phosphate, and a rise in fructose 1, 6‐bisphosphate. No change in pyrophosphate—fructose‐6‐phosphate 1‐phosphotransferase or pyrophosphate was found. It is argued that phosphofructokinase is primarily responsible for the increased entry of fructose 6‐phosphate into glycolysis at the climacteric.

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