The above experiments have identified that NO may act as an antagonist of ethylene in cut rose flowers senescence.
In this experiment, 1-MCP, an inhibitor of ethylene action, was used to further determine the signal interaction between NO and ethylene during cut rose senescence. When compared with the control, treatments with 1-MCP significantly extended vase life and increased maximum flower diameter (Fig. 4). NO scavengers cPTIO or MB-1 significantly reduced the vase life and maximum flower diameter of cut flowers treated with 1-MCP. Similarly, NOS inhibitors l-NAME was able to attenuate the promotive effects of MB-1. However, treatments with NR inhibitor NaN3 did not reversed the increase of vase life induced by 1-MCP (Fig. 4). Thus, NOS- mediated NO generation in cut rose flowers may play an important role during its senescence regulated by ethylene.