OCCURANCE, DISTRIBUTION AND

TRANSPORT OF EHYLENE IN PLANTS

• Ethylene can easily be synthesized in all plant organs
such as roots, stems, leaves, tubers, fruits and seeds.
• It is highest in senescing tissues and ripening fruits.
• Within the plant organs, ethylene formation is mainly
located in peripheral tissues.
• Ethylene is biologically active at low concentration (less
than 1 ppm)
• Ethylene can easily pass through plasmamembrane
into the cell, easily diffuse within the plant, and flushed
out of plant tissues through intercellular spaces
 STRUCTURE AND BIOSYNTHESIS
• Ethylene is the simplest olefin (mol. Wt. 28) .

• It is lighter than water under physiological

conditions and readily undergoes oxidation.
BIOSYNTHESIS
 FACTORS PROMOTING ETHYLENE
BIOSYNTHESIS
• Fruit ripening.
• Stress induced ethylene production,viz
Drought, flooding, chilling, exposure to ozone, and
mechanical wounding.
• Auxin induced ethylene production.
• Circadian regulation of ethylene production.
 INHIBITORS OF ETHYLENE BIOSYNTHESIS
AND ETHYLENE ACTION
• Aminoethoxy-vinylglycine (AVG).
• Aminooxyacetic acid (AOA).
• Silver ions.
• Carbon dioxide at high concentrations (5-10%).
• trans-cyclooctene.
• 1-Methylcyclopropene
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ETHYLENE
• Fruit ripening.
• Plumular hook formation.
• Triple response.
• Formation of adventitious roots and root hairs.
• Leaf epinasty.
• Senescence.
• Abscission of leaves.
 MECHANISM OF ETHYLENE ACTION
• Binding of ethylene to a receptor.
• Activation of one or more signal transduction
pathways.
• Modulation of gene expression leading to cellular
response.