POLYGALACTURONASE, CELLULASE AND SOFTENING, AS RELATED TO ETHYLENE PRODUCTION IN AVOCADO FRUIT STORED AT CHILLING TEMPERATURE

Avocado fruit of the ‘Pinkerton’ cultivar was stored at 5°C for 16 days and then transferred to 20°C for ripening, or kept at 20°C throughout.
The time course of ethylene production, cellulase and polygalacturonase activity and of the reduction in firmness, was studied.
At 20°C, cellulase and polygalacturonase activity and the reduction in firmness preceded the onset of ethylene production by the fruit.
At 5°C, the ethylene-producing apparatus was induced without any significant increase in the activity of these two enzymes.

V International Symposium on Growth Regulators in Fruit Production

Y. Fuchs, G. Zauberman, M. Akerman

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1986.179.134