The relationships between ethylene production and cell elongation during the initial growth period of chick‐pea seeds (<i>Cicer arietinum</i>)

Abstract

Ethylene production by isolated chick‐pea embryonic axes during the initial stages of germination has been studied. Maximum production of ethylene occurs when growth is entirely due to cell elongation and before mitotic activity begins. This peak increases three‐fold in the presence of calcium, but it is diminished by osmotic inhibitors, polyamines and abscisic acid (ABA), with a parallel fall in growth rate. Fusicoccin stimulates ethylene production and counteracts the effects of polyethylene glycol; thiourea, which breaks thermodormancy in chick‐pea seeds, reduces ethylene production but does not counteract the effects of osmotic inhibitors. Of the polyamines studied, spermine (in low concentrations, 0.1 to 1.0 m M ) is the only one to stimulate ethylene production and cell elongation. It is concluded that there is a close relationship between ethylene production and cell elongation.