ISHS Acta Horticulturae 329: VII International Symposium on Plant Growth Regulators in Fruit Production
AUXIN METABOLISM IN RELATION TO FRUIT RIPENING |
| Authors: | Janet P. Slovin, Jerry D. Cohen |
| Keywords: | Fruit development, indoleacetic acid, Lycopersicon esculentum, phytohormones, tomato |
| Abstract:
One of the characteristic aspects of the metabolism of the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is the formation of various conjugates both as endogenous products of normal metabolism and as products produced following treatment of tissue with IAA or other active auxin-like chemicals. We have found that the capacity of fruit tissue to form 14C labeled IAA conjugates following treatment with 14C-IAA changes with ripening. Tomato fruit show a changing capacity for auxin conjugation as the ripening process proceeds and fully ripe fruit of tomato, as well as many other fruits tested, show a greatly diminished capacity to form indole-3-acetyl-aspartate. These findings show that fundamental changes in the ability of fruit tissue to regulate auxin levels by conjugation occur during ripening. These results suggest, as a working hypothesis, that ripening may be regulated in part by a heightened sensitivity to auxin produced by the seed, which cannot be converted to conjugates by the pericarp tissues. | |
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