Ethylene Production and Respiratory Behavior of the Rin Tomato Mutant

Little or no change in ethylene or CO(2) production occurred in rin tomato mutant fruits monitored for up to 120 days after harvest. Of the abnormally ripening tomatoes investigated, including "Never ripe" (Nr Y a h, Nr c l(2) r), "Evergreen" (gf r) and "Green Flesh" (gf), only rin did not show a typical climacteric and ethylene rise.Fruits from F(1) plants resulting from reciprocal crosses between rin and normal plants apeared to ripen normally, but when compared to normal fruit, their ripening was delayed as measured by ethylene and CO(2) production and color change. These fruits produced only one-third to one-half as much ethylene at the peak of production compared to normal fruits.Exogenous ethylene or propylene treatment did not stimulate ethylene production by rin fruits but did stimulate CO(2) production. The CO(2) stimulation persisted only in the presence of the exogenous olefins. Stimulation of CO(2) production could be repeated several times in the same fruit. Wounding stress stimulated both ethylene and CO(2) production in rin fruits. It was concluded that rin tomato fruits behave like nonclimacteric fruits.