Light inhibition of the conversion of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid to ethylene in leaves is mediated through carbon dioxide.

The mechanism of light-inhibited ethylene production in excised rice (Oryza sativa L.) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves was examined. In segments of rice leaves light substantially inhibited the endogenous ethylene production, but when CO2 was added into the incubation flask, the rate of endogenous ethylene production in the light increased markedly, to a level which was even higher than that produced in the dark. Carbon dioxide, however, had no appreciable effect of leaf segments incubated in the dark. The endogenous level of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), the immediate precursor of ethylene, was not significantly affected by lightdark or CO2 treatment, indicating that dark treatment or CO2exerted its effect by promoting the conversion of ACC to ethylene. This conclusion was supported by the observations that the rate of conversion of exogenously applied ACC to ethylene was similarly inhibited by light, and this inhibition was relieved in the presence of CO2. Similar results were obtained with tobacco leaf discs. The concentrations of CO2 giving half-maximal activity was about 0.06%, which was only slightly above the ambient level of 0.03%. The modulation of ACC conversion to ethylene by CO2 or light in detached leaves of both rice and tobacco was rapid and fully reversible, indicating that CO2 regulates the activity, but not the synthesis, of the enzyme converting ACC to ethylene. Our results indicate that light inhibition of ethylene production in detached leaves is mediated through the internal level of CO2, which directly modulates the activity of the enzyme converting ACC to ethylene.