Ethylene inhibited sprouting of potato tubers by influencing the carbohydrate metabolism pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ethylene to control sprouting of potatoes by observing the effect of exogenous ethylene on carbohydrate metabolism and key enzymes. The initial time of potato tuber sprouting and sprouting index were recorded, and rate of respiration, total sugar, total reducing sugar, starch, fructose, glucose, sucrose and the activities of acid invertase (AI), neutral invertase (NI), sucrose synthase (SS), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), starch phosphorylase and amylase during sprouting were measured. Exogenous ethylene inhibited sprouting of potato tubers. Moreover, exogenous ethylene increased respiration total sugar, AI activity, SPS activity, SS activity, and reduced sugar and assay activity. Nevertheless, starch, glucose, fructose, NI activity and starch phosphorylase activity showed lower variation. Lower sprouting resulted into potatoes with higher levels of total sugar, total reducing sugar and glucose, and lower level of fructose and sucrose. And sprouting could be inhibited by increasing the activities of SS, SPS and AI by treatment with 199.3 μl L-1 exogenous ethylene. Overall, exogenous ethylene inhibited sprouting of potato tubers by influencing its carbohydrate metabolism.