The relationship between sulfur dioxide (SO
2)-induced damages and ethylene production was examined in tomato plants fumigated with 1.0 ppm SO
2, to illustrate involvement of ethylene production in SO
2-induced injury of plants. Ethylene production in tomato was enhanced by 1h SO
2 fumigation and moreincreased by prolonged exposure to SO
2 up to 4h, as did the SO
2-induced injury.
Next, we examined the effect of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), an inhibitor of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase, on ethylene production and leaf injury caused by SO
2 fumigation. AVG treatment prior to SO
2 fumigation effectively suppressed ethylene production, suggesting that ethylene synthesis induced by SO
2 fumigation was by way of ACC pathway in the plants. SO
2 fumigation induced chlorophyll destruction and increase of ion leakage of tomato leaves. AVG treatment blocked completely the chlorophyll destruction, though the treatment had no effect on stomatal diffusive resistance, namely SO
2 absorption rate. The suppressive effect of AVG on plant damages caused by SO
2 fumigation was nullified by ethylene treatment after SO
2 fumigation. These results indicated that ethylene might play an important role in SO
2-induced plant injuries at relatively short terms of SO
2 fumigation, thought ethylene did not cause the leaf damages by itself.
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