1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid as a signalling molecule in plants

Ethylene influences many aspects of plant growth and development including germination, leaf and floral senescence and abscission, fruit ripening, and the response to abiotic and biotic stress. The pathways involved in the biosynthesis of and response to ethylene have been elucidated. The first committed and generally rate-limiting step in ethylene biosynthesis is the conversion of S-adenosyl-methionine to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) by ACC synthase (ACS). This enzyme is encoded by a gene family in most plants and is subject to both transcriptional and post-transcriptional control in response to numerous endogenous and environmental cues. In addition to its well-described function as the immediate precursor of ethylene, recent studies suggest an alternative, non-canonical role for ACC. These studies found that in some contexts, chemical inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis caused effects on root cell expansion that were not observed when ethylene perception or signalling was disrupted, suggesting that ACC, but not ethylene, played a role in these specific processes. Furthermore, mutation of all eight ACS genes in Arabidopsis was found to result in embryo lethality, in contrast to the relatively modest developmental effects of null mutants in the ethylene signalling components. This divergence suggests that ACC may play a role as a signalling molecule in plants. Here, we first review the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and then discuss these studies suggesting an independent role of ACC as a signalling molecule.