Abstract
A number of plants were tested for their ability to bind ethylene and the number of binding sites present in each was calculated. Primary leaves of laboratory-grown beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) bound 140 dpm/g fwt (1794 dpm/g dry wt) when exposed to 1.0 μCi/1 of [14C]ethylene (110 ci/mol). Phytotron-grown leaves were less succulent but only bound 90 dpm/g fwt (1046 dpm/g dry wt). Bean roots bound 30 dpm/g fwt. Citrus and Ligustrum bound 207 and 240 dpm/g fwt, respectively. The time required to achieve equilibrium of leaves with the gas phase was 15 min for bean, 30 min for Citrus, and 30–60 min for Ligustrum. The time for 1/2 of the bound ethylene to diffuse out of the leaves was 20 min for bean, 10 min for Citrus, and 30 min for Ligustrum. The amount of ethylene needed to occupy 1/2 of the binding sites was obtained from Scatchard plots. This value (Kd) was 0.2 μl/1 for bean, 0.15 for Citrus, and 0.31 for Ligustrum. The quantity of binding sites in the tissues was 2.0×10-9 mol of binding sites/kg tissue for bean leaves, 5.7×10-9 for Citrus leaves, and 6.8×10-9 for Ligustrum. Pretreatment with indoleacetic acid (IAA), ehtylene, and cycloheximide (1 mg/1) had little effect on the level of ethylene-binding sites in Citrus.
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Contribution from the Department of Biochemistry, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State University. Paper No. 8445 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7601.
North Carolina-Israel exchange Scholar for 1981 at the Department of Biochemistry, North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Goren, R., Sisler, E.C. Ethylene-binding characteristics in Phaseolus, Citrus, and Ligustrum plants. Plant Growth Regul 4, 43–54 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025348
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025348