Regulation of ethylene production and wilting in senescing carnation petals

Senescence of carnation flowers is characterized by autocatalytic ethylene production from petals and subsequent wilting of the petals. Recent studies on the regulation of ethylene production and wilting in senescing carnation petals revealed that (1) petal senescence is triggered by ethylene evolved from the gynoecium during natural senescence, (2) there are two subsets of ethylene responses in the petals; one responsible for autocatalytic ethylene production and the other for wilting, and (3) the difference among cultivars and strain of gene expression in response to exogenous ethylene dissects the sequence of gene expression leading to autocatalytic ethylene production in the petals.