Possible roles of calcium and ammonium in the development of bitter pit in apple

Apple trees ( Malus pumila Mill . var. domestica Fuji/ Malus prunifolia rootstock) showed a high susceptibility to bitter pit when supplyed with ammonium salt instead of nitrate (control) in the nutrient solution. When apple fruit was affected by bitter pit, a lower calcium as well as a higher nitrogen and ammonium-nitrogen contents was observed in the fruit flesh near the calyx end. The activity of the mitochondrial Ca²⁺-uptake of the fruit flesh near the calyx end was higher when the tree was grown with ammonium salt than when grown with nitrate. Both the activities of succinate: cytochrome c oxidoreductase and the mitochondrial Ca²⁺-uptake per g of tissue were higher in affected fruit than in healthy fruit. Each of chlorpromazine, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-l-napthalenesulfonamide (W-7) and N-(6-aminohexyl)-l-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-5), calmodulin antagonists, was infiltrated into the fruit for 20 min under reduced pressure (about 1 × 10⁴ Pa). Few days later, numerous bitter pit-like spots were observed in both fruit treated with W-7 and chlorpromazine, while only a few spots were observed after the infiltration with W-5, a less potent calmodulin antagonist. A possible mechanism for the occurrence of bitter pit is discussed.