Ethylene biosynthesis in tissues of young and mature avocado fruits

Sitrit, Y., Blumenfeld, A. and Riov, J. 1987. Ethylene biosynthesis in tissues of young and mature avocado fruits. Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruit tissues differ greatly in their capability to pro duce wound ethylene. In fruitlets, the endosperm lacks the ability to produce ethylene because no 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) is synthesized and no activity of the ethylene‐forming enzyme (EFE) is present. The cotyledons (embryo) do not produce significant amounts of ethylene at any of the developmental stages of the fruits, although in both young and mature fruits they contain a relatively high level of ACC synthase (EC 4.4.1.‐) activity. Because of the very low EFE activity present in the cotyledons, most of the ACC formed in this tissue is conjugated. Of the various fruitlet tissues, the seed coat has the highest potential to produce ethylene. This is due to a high ACC synthase activity and particularly a high EFE activity. Also, the seed coat is very sensitive to the autocatalytic effect of ethylene. Fruitletpericarp possesses a lower potential to produce ethylene than the seed coat. Towardruit maturiy, the endosperm disappears and the seed coat shrivels and dies so that the pericarp and the cotyledons remain as the only active tissues in the mature fruit. At this stage, the pericarp is the only tissue producing ethylene. Mature precli macteric pericarp has a lower potential to produce ethylene than fruitlet pericarpThe role of ethylene in regulating various physiological processes at different stages of fruit maturation is discussed.