Abstract
Flooding induced several morphological and physiological changes in bitter melon ( Momordica charantia L.), a flood-intolerant plant; hypocotyl cross-sectional area and numbers of adventitious roots increased significantly after 4 days of flooding. On the first day of flooding, aerobic respiratory rate of flooded roots dropped to 42% of the control level. Activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and endogenous concentrations of ethanol increased gradually, reaching a maximum level on the third day of flooding. Concomitantly, an isozymic form of ADH was shown to be induced. An increase in the apparent K m for the ADH substrate, acetaldehyde, was found to be positively correlated with the decline of endogenous concentrations of ethanol after the 3 day flood stress. A prolonged accumulation of ethanol in flood-stressed roots was shown to lead to death of the seminal root system.
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