Application Of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid Research Articles

Methionine metabolism and ethylene biosynthesis in senescing petals of Tradescantia

Abstract The endogenous content of methionine in isolated petals of Tradescantia was found to increase during petal senescence while the levels of S -methylmethionine and protein were found to decline. The increase in free methionine was, at least in part, the result of protein degradation. Methionine and homocysteine were shown to be intermediates in ethylene biosynthesis while S -methylmethionine was not involved. Application of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to all floral tissues resulted in large stimulations of ethylene production. ACC was shown to be an endogenous amino acid the internal levels of which correlated positively with the rate of ethylene production. Application of l -methionine-[U- 14 C] led to a rapid appearance of radioactivity in both ethylene and ACC. The specific radioactivity of C-2 and C-3 of ACC and that of ethylene were found to be nearly identical which indicated that ACC was the immediate precursor of ethylene in senescing petals of Tradescantia .

Increased Production of Ethylene by Plant Tissues Treated with 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid1

Abstract Ethylene production of tissues excised from root, stem, leaf, inflorescence, and fruit of 16 plant species greatly increased following the application of 1-aminocyclopropane-1 carboxylic acid (ACC), an intermediate in the conversion of methionine to ethylene. Treatment with 1 mM ACC invariably increased the rate of ethylene production 10 to 1000 times over controls, whereas methionine at the same concentration was ineffective. Treatment with 0.1 mM ACC consistently increased ethylene production in all of the tissues tested, although only a few tissues responded to 0.01 mM.