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Polygalacturonase Activity and Ethylene Synthesis during Cucumber Fruit Development and Maturation
1Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650.
Plant Physiology
|December 1, 1980
Summary
Ethylene exposure significantly boosted polygalacturonase enzyme activity in cucumber seed cavities during ripening. This enzyme
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Fruit Ripening
Background:
- Polygalacturonase is a key enzyme in fruit softening.
- Ethylene is a crucial plant hormone regulating fruit development and ripening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of ethylene on polygalacturonase activity in cucumber seed cavity tissue.
- To determine if this effect varies across different cucumber cultivars.
Main Methods:
- Measuring polygalacturonase activity at pH 4.6 and 6.2 in six cucumber cultivars.
- Exposing harvested immature fruit to ethylene (10 µL/L) in air.
Main Results:
- Polygalacturonase activity increased over 20-fold in response to ethylene-induced maturation burst.
- This increase was consistent across all six cultivars tested.
- Seed cavity tissue pH decreased concurrently with increased polygalacturonase activity.
Conclusions:
- Ethylene plays a significant role in upregulating polygalacturonase activity in cucumber seed cavities.
- The observed pH decrease in seed cavity tissue is associated with polygalacturonase action during ripening.
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