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We investigated the use of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) for prolonging vase life of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.). Freshly cut snapdragon spikes were set into a LPE solution at 25 mg·L^-1 for 24 h and then transferred to deionized water. The vase life was enhanced by LPE. The flowers on spikes treated with LPE showed symptoms of wilting or browning 4 or 6 days later than those on the spikes given deionized water in inbred or `Potomac White', respectively. All the spikes were of marketable quality for 5 to 7 days after harvest when treated with LPE, whereas in the control only about half of the flowers were of marketable quality at 2 days after harvest. LPE treatment also delayed fresh mass loss, lowered endogenous ethylene production, and reduced ion leakage. These results suggest that LPE has commercial potential in enhancing vase life of snapdragons.

Mitigation of ethylene promoted leaf senescence by lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) was studied. Micropropagated `Russet Burbank' potato (Solanum tuberosum L.,) plantlets were grown on MS media in sterile culture tubes. After 2 weeks of growth, tubes were sealed and ethylene gas was applied to obtain 5 nL·L^–1 final concentration in the culture tubes. Observations and measurements were taken two weeks after ethylene injection. Potato plantlets treated with ethylene showed severe leaf senescence symptoms such as epinasty, lack of growth, yellowing and axillary shoot formation. These observations indicate that apical dominance has been lost with ethylene treatment. The same experiment was repeated with different concentrations of LPE in the MS medium. Inclusion of 50 or 100 mg·L^–1 of LPE in the medium mitigated the damage normally caused by applied ethylene. Leaves of plantlets exposed simultaneously to LPE and ethylene had significantly higher chlorophyll content and more healthy leaves compared to plantlets grown on medium lacking LPE. Results of this study suggest that LPE may have the potential to retard ethylene-promoted leaf senescence and may mitigate ethylene induced loss in apical dominance of micropropagated potato plantlets.

Using an aqueous polymer two-phase [polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3400/dextran T500, 6.2%: 6.2%, w/w] partitioning procedure combined with isopycnic fractionation, plasma membranes derived from muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulates Naud.) leaf blades have been isolated and examined for marker enzyme activity, density, and molecular composition. After aqueous polymer partitioning, plasma membranes were centrifuged on a linear sucrose density gradient, and a single band was found at the 31% (w/w) sucrose (1.13 g-cm^-3). Identification of plasma membranes was performed by the combination of K⁺-stimulated ATPase, pH 6.5, vanadate inhibition of ATPase and KNO₃-insensitive ATPase activity. Plasma membranes from seedling leaves grown for 5 days at 15C had the highest concentration of total phospholipids, the lowest concentration of proteins, and a total sterol concentration not significantly different from leaves grown at 30C. The total sterol to total phospholipid ratio of the plasma membrane from leaves grown for 5 days at 15C was ≈1:1; from leaves grown for 10 days at 15C or 5 days at 30C the ratio was ≈2:1; and from leaves grown for 10 days at 30C the ratio was ≈3:1. The plasma membrane phospholipid saturated to unsaturated fatty acid ratio from leaves grown for 5 days at 15C was ≈0.8:1.0; from leaves grown for 10 days at 15C or 5 days at 30C the ratio was ≈1.0:1.0; and from leaves grown for 10 days at 30C it was 1.4:1.0.

Recent work in our laboratory has shown that pre- and postharvest applications of lysophosphotidylethanolamine (LPE) retard senescence processes in several fruit and flower species (apple, tomato, carnation). Banana was selected to develop a rapid bioassay to test the effects of LPE and other substances on various processes associated with senescence. Excised peel pieces from fully yellow `Grand Nain' bananas (Musa AAA) were incubated in petri dishes containing LPE solution (0, 25, 50, and 100 ppm) for 4 days. Fresh weight and ethylene production was measured daily. At the end of the experiment, tissue density, ion leakage, and soluble protein leakage was measured. Ion and soluble protein leakage was significantly lowered with 100 LPE. The 100 ppm LPE also significantly inhibited ethylene production after only 2 hours of treatment and this low level was maintained during the experiment. Peel tissue from the 100 ppm LPE remained firm and intact while tissue from the other treatments expanded and lost integrity. By day 2, peel from the 0, 25, and 50 ppm LPE gained significantly in fresh weight, while tissue treated with 100 ppm initially lost and then only slightly gained in fresh weight. Our results suggest that LPE is able to protect membrane function in senescence. Furthermore, these results provide evidence that LPE may also be retarding senescence by modulating the ethylene pathway.

Ethephon [2-(chloroethyl) phoshonic acid] is used widely to maximize the yield of ripe tomato fruit. However, ethephon causes rapid and extensive defoliation, overripening, and promotes sunscald damage to the fruit. Recent studies from our laboratory have provided evidence that lysophoshatidylethanolamine (LPE) can reduce leaf senescence. We investigated the potential use of LPE to reduce damaging effect of ethephon on tomato foliage. Three-month-old tomato plants (variety Mountain Spring) grown in greenhouse conditions were sprayed with 200 ppm LPE (with 3% ethanol) at 6 and 24 h before ethephon treatment. After 8 days, plants treated with ethephon alone showed about 80% foliar damage while plant treated with LPE before ethephon treatment showed about 25% foliar damage. In a parallel study, LPE together with ethephon was found to maintain three to four times greater chlorophyll content in the leaves compared to ethephon alone. Treatments of LPE did not reduce the fruit ripening response by ethephon. Both sources of LPE were effective in preventing damaging effects of ethephon on the foliage. These results suggest that LPE treatments 6 and 24 h before ethephon application can prevent damaging effects of ethephon on foliage while allowing the acceleration of fruit ripening.

This study was designed to examine whether shoot injury induced by high root-zone temperature is associated with changes in shoot detoxifying metabolism and to determine the level and duration of high root-zone temperatures that would induce physiological changes in two cultivars of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera var. palustris Huds) differing in heat tolerance. Plants of `Penn A-4' (heat tolerant) and `Putter' (heat susceptible) were grown in sand and exposed to root-zone temperatures of 20 (control), 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 31, and 35 °C in water baths while air temperature was maintained at 20 °C in a growth chamber. Turf quality, leaf cytokinin content, and antioxidant enzyme activities declined at increased soil temperatures and the duration of treatment for both cultivars. A decline in turf quality occurred following 40 days of exposure to 35 °C for `Penn A-4' and 26 days of exposure to 31 °C for `Putter'. The root-zone temperature causing the decline of isopentenyl adenosine and zeatin cytokinins was 25 °C at 37 d for `Putter' and 27 °C at 47 days for `Penn A-4'. The temperature causing the decline of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities was 25 °C and 27 °C at 33 days for `Putter' and 27 °C and 31 °C at 43 days for Penn A-4, respectively. Malondialdehyde content increased at 27 °C for `Putter' and 31 °C for `Penn A-4' at 43 days of treatment. The decline in cytokinin content and antioxidant enzyme activity occurred at a lower soil temperature and earlier during the treatment than the decline in turf quality, possibly contributing to turf quality decline. The root-zone temperatures causing the decline in turf quality, cytokinin content, and oxidative damage were higher in the heat-tolerant cultivar than heat-susceptible cultivar.

`Golden Delicious' apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) harvested at the preclimacteric and climacteric stages of ripening were stored for up to 8 months at 1C in air and under various controlled atmosphere(s) (CA), including ultralow oxygen (ULO) storage conditions. Aroma volatiles were measured at 2-month intervals in fruit ripened for 10 days at 20C. Fruits harvested at the climacteric stage produced more volatiles during all storage conditions than preclimacteric fruit. All CA storage treatments suppressed aroma production compared to cold storage. The greatest reduction was found under ULO (1% O<sub>2</sub>) and high CO<sub>2</sub> (3%) conditions. A partial recovery of aroma production was observed when CA fruits were subsequently stored for 14 days under cold storage conditions. Suppression of aroma production under ULO conditions seems to be related to low fatty acid synthesis and/or degradation, and is restricted to volatiles having a straight C chain. Production of branched C-chain aroma compounds was suppressed by high CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations. The reduced capacity of aroma production during shelf life after ULO storage is confined to apple cultivars producing mainly ester compounds with a straight C-chain, e.g., `Golden Delicious'.

Ethephon [2-(chloroethyl) phoshonic acid] is used widely to maximize the yield of ripe tomato fruits. However, ethephon causes rapid and extensive defoliation, overripening, and promotes sunscald damage to the fruit. Recent studies from our laboratory have provided evidence that lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) can reduce leaf senescence. We investigated the potential use of LPE to reduce damaging effect of ethephon on tomato foliage and influence on the activity of phospholipase D (PLD). Disruption of membrane integrity has been suggested as a primary cause of senescence in plants. PLD is known to be a key enzyme, which initiates the selective degradation of membrane phospholipids in senescing tissues. Two-month-old tomato plants (`Mountain Spring') grown in greenhouse condition were sprayed with water, 200 ppm LPE, and 1000 ppm ethephon. In addition, LPE spray prior to ethephon or mixture with ethephon were also tested. Leaves were sampled after 0, 2, 5, 24, 72, and 168 h of spray application, for PLD activity measurements. Spray of LPE prior to ethephon spray or inclusion of LPE in the ethephon spray reduced foliar injury by ethephon. Activity of soluble PLD was increased dramatically in leaves sprayed with ethephon initially and than dropped by 7 days. We also found that LPE-treated leaves had lower PLD activity than the ethephon-treated leaves. Plants treated with LPE-ethephon mixture also showed significantly lower PLD activity. These results suggest that LPE treatments mitigate ethephon injury to tomato plants. Furthermore, it appears that this mitigation involves modulation of the activity of PLD.