Interrelationships of ethylene and abscisic Acid in the control of rose petal senescence.

The role of abscisic acid and ethylene in the senescence of rose petals cv. Golden-Wave was examined. A rise in ethylene evolution, followed by an increase in the level of abscisic acid was observed. The presence of abscisic acid in rose petals was established, using different chromatography systems, several bioassays, and immunoassay. External application of ethylene accelerated senescence and induced a rise in endogenous abscisic acid-like activity. Application of abscisic acid promoted senescence, but suppressed ethylene production. The data suggest that the participation of these two hormones in the control of senescence is via the same pathway. The possibility of interrelationship between abscisic acid and ethylene was tested and experimental evidence in favor of this hypothesis is presented. It was suggested that ethylene affects senescence in rose petals by inducing an increase in abscisic acid activity, which in turn may control ethylene evolution, via a feedback mechanism.