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Metabolism of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic Acid in Relation to Ethylene Biosynthesis

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Plant Nitrogen Metabolism

Part of the book series: Recent Advances in Phytochemistry ((RAPT,volume 23))

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Abstract

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) was first isolated in 1957 from ripe cider apples and perry pears by Burroughs1and from ripe cowberries by Vahatalo and Virtanen.2 Although Burroughs3 observed that the amount of ACC in perry pears increased during storage and speculated that ACC might be related in some way to fruit ripening, he could not detect ACC in other varieties of apple or pear. Undoubtedly this was because of the insensitive method employed at that time. Interest in this unusual, non-protein amino acid was sparked when it was recognized as the immediate precursor of ethylene in 1979. Adams and Yang4 unravelled this through tracer studies of methionine metabolism, while Lurssen et al.5 showed that ACC greatly stimulated ethylene production in a number of plant tissues.

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© 1989 Plenum Press, New York

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Yang, S.F. (1989). Metabolism of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic Acid in Relation to Ethylene Biosynthesis. In: Poulton, J.E., Romeo, J.T., Conn, E.E. (eds) Plant Nitrogen Metabolism. Recent Advances in Phytochemistry, vol 23. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0835-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0835-5_8

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