Rating of fluorescence staining in cross-sections of ‘Nicoter’ apples, without and with cavities.

Fruit were harvested when the frequency of symptomatic fruit averaged 54%, six weeks after the optimum harvest date. The tissue investigated was in the ray/cortex transition zone in a region without browning and without cavities. The antibodies against pectins were: LM7 (anti-homogalacturonan) [13], LM8 (anti-xylogalacturonan) [14], LM19 (anti-homogalacturonan) [15], LM20 (anti-homogalacturonan) [15] and 2F4 for dimeric associations of Ca with homogalacturonan [16]. Those reacting with hemicelluloses were: LM11 (anti-xylan/arabinoxylan) [17], LM21 (anti-mannan) [18] and LM25 (anti-xyloglucan) [19]. The GFP fluorescence was rated on a three-point scale: 0 no fluorescence, + some cell walls fluorescing, ++ all cell walls fluorescing; n = 3.