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Nonphysiological binding of ethylene by plants
1United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, West Virginia 25430.
Plant Physiology
|March 1, 1984
Summary
Plant tissues exhibit ethylene binding, but this interaction may not be physiological. Ethylene
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Ethylene is a crucial plant hormone regulating growth and development.
- Understanding ethylene binding mechanisms is key to deciphering its physiological roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the binding of ethylene to various plant seedling tissues.
- To determine if observed ethylene binding is physiological or non-specific.
Main Methods:
- Ethylene binding was assessed by measuring gas transit times through seedling tissue columns.
- Comparison of ethylene binding with other gases like methane, acetylene, and alkanes.
- Effect of ethylene action inhibitors (Ag+, CO2) and non-plant tissues (mushrooms) on binding was evaluated.
Main Results:
- Seedling tissues of Vicia faba, Phaseolus vulgaris, Glycine max, and Triticum aestivum showed slower transit times for ethylene compared to methane, indicating affinity.
- Ethylene binding was not inhibited by Ag+ ions or CO2, which are known inhibitors of ethylene's physiological action.
- Non-plant tissues like mushrooms also exhibited ethylene binding.
- The binding affinity correlated more closely with gas solubility in water than with known physiological activity.
Conclusions:
- Plant tissues demonstrate a physical affinity for ethylene.
- The observed ethylene binding is likely non-specific and not mediated by known physiological receptors.
- Gas solubility in water appears to be a primary factor in the observed binding phenomenon.