Genetic modification of the vase-life of carnation
1995
Bovy, A.G. | Altvorst, A.C. van | Angenent, G.C. | Dons, J.J.M.
The hormone ethylene plays an important role in the senescence process of carnation flowers and the ripening process of fruits, such as tomato and apple. The senescence and ripening process is characterised by a climacteric increase in the production of ethylene, leading to the induction of genes involved in programmed cell death and ripening. The currently used methods to increase the vase-life of carnation flowers consist of pretreatment of flowers with chemicals that inhibit either ethylene synthesis or the ethylene response. Because of environmental pollution, the use of these chemicals will be restricted in the near future. Genetic modification of ethylene biosynthesis or ethylene sensitivity can be good alternatives. The ethylene biosynthesis route is completely known and genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis have been isolated from several plant species, including carnation. Recently, several genes involved in the ethylene response have been isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana. The availability of such genes and the development of an efficient transformation-regeneration method for carnation make it possible to increase the vase-life of carnation flowers via genetic modification. To inhibit ethylene synthesis in carnation we have generated transgenic plants containing sense and antisense ACC oxidase constructs. To inhibit the ethylene response we have expressed the Arabidopsis thaliana etr1-1 gene in transgenic carnation plants. The effect of the introduced genes on the vase-life is currently under investigation.
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