M.Sc. (Botany) / Senescence of carnation flowers is accompanied by an increase in the sensitivity of the petals to ethylene. It appears that ethylene sensitivity during normal senescence and under stress conditions is induced by the production of short-chain saturated fatty acids ranging in chain-length from C7-C10 during the early stages. During pollination-induced senescence these acids are synthesized in the styles as a result of wounding and transported to the corolla where they induce an increase in ethylene sensitivity of the petals to ethylene, causing an advancement in the timing of the climacteric peak in ethylene production. It appears that the cell membrane is the site' of action for short-chain fatty acids in their regulation of ethylene sensitivity in plant tissues. These acids cause an increase "in the ability of the tissue to bind ethylene by affecting the physical properties of the cell membranes. Treatment with STS results in a suppression of ethylene sensitivity by stabilizing the cell membranes, thereby decreasing the ability of ethylene to bind to its receptor sites in the cell membranes. Treatment with short-chain fatty acids overrides this stabilizing effect to a great extent by increasing the permeability of cellular membranes and thus the sensitivity of the carnation petal tissue to ethylene.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:12132 |
| Date | 27 August 2014 |
| Creators | Vasiljevic, Danica |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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