Molecular cloning of an 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase from senescing carnation flower petals

Synthetic oligonucleotides based on the sequence of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase from tomato were used to prime the synthesis and amplification of a 337 bp tomato ACC synthase cDNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This PCR product was used to screen a cDNA library prepared from mRNA isolated from senescing carnation flower petals. Two cDNA clones were isolated which represented the same mRNA. The longer of the two clones (CARACC3) contained a 1950 bp insert with a single open reading frame of 516 amino acids encoding a protein of 58 kDa. The predicted protein from the carnation ACC synthase cDNA was 61%, 61%, 64%, and 51% identical to the deduced proteins from zucchini squash, winter squash, tomato, and apple, respectively. Genomic DNA gel blot analysis indicated the presence of at least a second gene in carnation which hybridized to CARACC3 under conditions of low stringency. ACC synthase mRNA accumulates during senescence of carnation flower petals concomitant with the increase in ethylene production and ACC synthase enzyme activity. Ethylene induced the accumulation of ACC synthase mRNA in presenescent petals. Wound-induced ethylene production in leaves was not associated with an increase in ACC synthase mRNA represented by CARACC3. These results indicate that CARACC3 represents an ACC synthase transcript involved in autocatalytic ethylene production in senescing flower petals.