Ethylene-induced inhibition of oxygen uptake by plant tissues

It has been well documented that ethylene causes an immediate increase in the respiratory rate of many types of plant tissues. With the present work, it was found that upon exposure of thin slices of plant tissues to ethylene, a more immediate effect was a decrease in the respiratory rate. This was followed by the acceleration. Many different types of tissues were tested and found to behave in this fashion. The suggestion was made that this inhibition was the first metabolic influence that has been reported for ethylene. Data is presented which suggested that the inhibition was related to the primary metabolic action of ethylene on the tissues during ripening and that this action was related to protein synthesis.