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CELL BIOLOGY AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION

Ethylene Stimulates Endoreduplication But Inhibits Cytokinesis in Cucumber Hypocotyl Epidermis¹

Department of Biology, International Christian University, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8585 Japan (H.D., H.K.); School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601 Japan (H.I.); and Plant Cell Biology Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia (G.O.W., H.K.)

The effects of ethylene on cell division are generally considered inhibitory. In this study, we demonstrate that transient ethylene exposure, while suppressing cytokinesis, stimulates DNA synthesis. We monitored DNA synthesis and cytokinesis in the epidermis of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) hypocotyls, an organ whose post-germination development involves strictly limited cell division. During exposure to ethylene, DNA synthesis, assessed by the incorporation of the thymidine homolog 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, was detected in 20% of the epidermal cells, whereas DNA synthesis was nearly undetectable in normal air. Cytofluorometric analysis of nuclei in affected cells showed an up to 8-fold increase in DNA content. During this time, new cell plate formation was not detected. However, shortly after ethylene was removed, DNA content was rapidly restored to 2C (diploid) levels in all cells, and new cell plate formation dramatically increased. These results demonstrate that ethylene promotes DNA synthesis and its endoreduplication but inhibits cytokinesis, thereby maintaining some cells in G₂ phase.

¹ This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of Japan (grant-in-aid 11874120 to H.K.) and by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project (grant no.DP0208872 to G.O.W.).

^* Corresponding author; e-mail kazama{at}icu.ac.jp; fax 81-422-33-1449.

Received April 27, 2003; returned for revision June 26, 2003; accepted August 18, 2003.

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