There, is converted to ethylene. Tomatoes, for instance, produce ACC in water-logged roots. ACC is moved via the vascular bundles to the leaves where it is converted to ethylene, which then induces epinastic lowering of the petioles. Ethylene - perception and signaling Ethylene action very often involves transcriptional activation. In recent years, much has been learned about the transduction pathway from ethylene perception to gene activation.
Ethylene is bound by a receptor that is membrane-localized.
The N-terminal domain of the receptor protein is responsible for binding of ethylene. The intracellular portion of the protein is a protein kinase which is activated upon binding of ethylene. One such early gene is itself a transcriptional activator that induces late genes. They may encode for proteins involved in pathogen defense. Or they may encode for proteins required for other ethylene responses.