Increased mitochondrial DNA and RNA polymerase activity in ethylene-treated potato tubers.

A purified mitochondrial fraction was isolated from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers respiring normally at 23 degrees C or at an accelerated rate in response to treatment with ethylene (10 microliters per liter).A pronounced increase in various mitochondrial enzymic activities was observed in response to exposure of the whole tubers to ethylene. Cytochrome c oxidase activity increased more than 50%, DNA polymerase activity increased about 2-fold, and RNA polymerase activity increased 2.5-fold. Moreover, DNA or RNA polymerase activities of mitochondria isolated from tubers not treated with ethylene were not affected by ethylene treatment in vitro. Respiratory control ratios decreased from 2.84 to 1.50 with increasing periods of ethylene treatment from 0 to 15 hours. None of these changes were observed in untreated tubers. It is concluded that the stimulation of respiration by ethylene in potato tubers is accompanied in vivo by an enhancement of mitochondrial enzymic activity of both membrane-associated enzymes which participate in the mitochondrial oxidative electron transport as well as soluble enzymes which are not directly involved in respiration.