The contribution of xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH, EC 1.1.1.204) to fruit size was investigated using the normal and small-fruit variants of Persea americana Mill. cv. 'Hass'. Inhibition of XDH by treatment of normal fruit, in the linear phase of growth (phase II), with allopurinol (Allo) arrested fruit growth. Adenine (Ade), a less effective inhibitor of this enzyme, also arrested fruit growth when applied in phase II and slowed fruit growth when applied in phase III. A time-course study on the activity of XDH in mesocarp tissue from normal and small fruit showed that maximum activity occurred late in phase II and that the peak in activity was absent in mesocarp of the small fruit. Feeding Ade to growing fruit in phase III caused a transient decline in fruit growth (measured as change in fruit length). Thereafter, growth resumed although fruit size was irreversibly affected. Treatment of fruit with Ade and Ade-containing cytokinins altered activity of another molybdenum enzyme, aldehyde oxidase (EC 1.2.3.1). Cytokinin oxidase was induced by cytokinin and auxin. Purine catabolism via hypoxanthine/xanthine was operative in normal fruit and in mesocarp from the small-fruit variant and as expected, Allo treatment caused accumulation of xanthine and adenine. In the absence of an increase in XDH during growth of the small-fruit phenotype, low levels of Ade were interpreted as resulting from respiration-enhanced adenylate depletion. Stress and/or pathogen induction of the alternative oxidase pathway is proposed as a possible cause.