In this paper we review our recent data on the pre- and postharvest behavior of transgenic melons (Cucumis melo cantalupensis Naud, cv. Védrantais) expressing an antisense construct of the ACC oxidase gene. The transgenic fruit exhibited less than 1% of the maximum ethylene production of control untransformed fruit and some aspects of the ripening process were blocked both on and off the vine. Compared to wild type, transgenic fruit did not undergo significant yellowing of the rind and softening of the flesh but these effects were completely reversed by treatment of transgenic fruit with exogenous ethylene. The pigmentation of the flesh occurred early before the onset of the climacteric and was thus unaffected by ethylene inhibition. Similarly, the total soluble solids accumulated at the same rate in both types of fruit until the wild type fruit abscissed from the plant. However, as ethylene-inhibited fruit failed to develop a peduncular abscission zone, they remained attached to the plant and accumulated a higher amount of sugars. Transgenic melons, described in this study, exhibit specific traits that are not encountered in antisense ACC oxidase and ACC synthase tomatoes described previously. They have allowed discriminating between ethylene-dependent and ethylene-independent ripening traits in the melon.