Metabolism of [C]vernolate in soybeans

Penetration and metabolism of [¹⁴C]vernolate in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. var Ransom] pods and seeds were measured 0, 1, 4, 24, 48, or 72 hr after treatment which occurred at 40 days after flowering. Total ¹⁴C recovery decreased ca. 50% within 4 hr and the loss of ¹⁴C was considered to be a measure of volatility. Total nonpolar extractants decreased in a logarithmic pattern which approached 10% of total ¹⁴C recovered within 24–48 hr. Total polar extractants increased in a logarithmic pattern to a maximum of 90% of total ¹⁴C recovered within 24 hr. Seed nonpolar extractants never exceeded 2% of the total ¹⁴C recovered while pod nonpolar extractants consisted of vernolate plus an unidentified component that did not thin-layer chromatograph (TLC) as the sulfone or sulfoxide. Pod polar extractants increased with time to ca. 75% of the total ¹⁴C recovered (24–48 hr) and decreased to ca. 58% at 72 hr after treatment. Seed polar extractants averaged ca. 10% of total ¹⁴C recovered for the first 48 hr after treatment and then increased to 30% of total ¹⁴C recovered. Thus, [¹⁴C]vernolate per se concentration decreased to <1% of applied material within 72 hr through volatilization and degradation of nonpolar extractants to polar products. Polar metabolites showed two major patterns of vernolate detoxification. One detoxification system produced ¹⁴C-metabolites whose R_f's were equivalent to that reported in corn (Zea mays L.) [J. P. Hubbell and J. E. Casida, [J. Agric. Food Chem. 25, 404 (1977)] and accounted for <30% of the pod polar extractants. A second detoxification system was most prevalent in soybean pod and seed tissues and resulted in very rapid modification of vernolate with an unidentified product that was 85% of the extracted ¹⁴C within 4 hr after treatment and which decreased in concentration with time. Therefore, unexplained vernolate detoxification system(s) exist in soybean pod and seed.     

Metribuzin metabolism in tomato: Isolation and identification of N-glucoside conjugates

Metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] metabolism was studied in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. “Sheyenne”). Pulse-treatment studies with seedlings and excised leaves showed that [5-¹⁴C]metribuzin was rapidly absorbed, translocated (acropetal), and metabolized to more polar products. Foliar tissues of 19-day-old seedlings metabolized 96% of the root-absorbed [¹⁴C]metribuzin in 120 hr. Excised mature leaves metabolized 85–90% of the petiole-absorbed [¹⁴C]metrubuzin in 48 hr. Polar metabolites were isolated by solvent partitioning, and purified by adsorption, thin-layer, and high-performance liquid chromatography. A minor intermediate metabolite (I) was identified as the polar β-d-(N-glucoside) conjugate of metribuzin. The biosynthesis of (I) was demonstrated with a partially purified UDP-glucose: metribuzin N-glucosyltransferase from tomato leaves. A possible correlation between foliar UDP-glucose: metribuzin N-glucosyltransferase activity levels and differences in the tolerance of selected tomato seedling cultivars to metribuzin was suggested. The major polar metabolite (II) was identified as the malonyl β-d-(N-glucoside) conjugate of metribuzin.     

Sulfoxidation of thiocarbamate herbicides and metabolism of thiocarbamate sulfoxides in living mice and liver enzyme systems

The microsome-NADPH system of mouse liver oxidizes each of benthiocarb, butylate, cycloate, EPTC, molinate, pebulate, and vernolate herbicide chemicals to the corresponding thiocarbamate sulfoxide which is then cleaved by the liver soluble-glutathione system. These sulfoxides are also detected as transient metabolites in the liver of mice injected with EPTC, molinate, pebulate, and vernolate but not with the other three thiocarbamates. Thiocarbamate sulfones are not detected as metabolites of the thiocarbamates. Studies in vivo and in vitro with [¹⁴C]EPTC and -pebulate or their corresponding sulfoxides and/or sulfones further indicate that sulfoxidation is the initial metabolic step in cleavage of the thiocarbamate ester group. Sulfoxidation appears to be a detoxification mechanism for thiocarbamate herbicides in mammals.     

Metabolism of DDT and related compounds in cell suspension cultures of soybean (Glycine max L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Cell suspension cultures of wheat and soybean were incubated with [¹⁴C]-1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), [¹⁴C]-1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)ethene (DDE), and [¹⁴C]-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)acetic acid (DDA) under standardized conditions. Polar metabolites were formed in yields of 1–2.5% in the cases of DDT and DDE, and of 56% in the case of DDA. A nonpolar metabolite was only observed in the case of DDT in soybean. This metabolite was identified as DDE on the basis of cochromatography and mass spectroscopy. By the same methods DDA was identified as a major polar DDT metabolite of both soybean and wheat. The further conversion of DDA to hexose esters was demonstrated by chromatographic and mass spectroscopic comparison with synthetic DDA-β-d-glucopyranosyl tetraacetate. These studies suggest the metabolic sequence, DDT → DDA → DDA-hexose ester.     

Accelerated degradation of thiocarbamate herbicides in Israeli soils following repeated use of vernolate

Accelerated degradation of vernolate, EPTC and butylate but not of cycloate was detected in soils from three locations in Israel which were treated annually with vernolate. Repeated application of EPTC to soils with and without a history of vernolate application, under laboratory conditions, resulted in a progressive increase in its rate of dissipation with each application. Accelerated degradation of EPTC was also rapidly induced by mixing small amounts (5%) of soil with a history of vernolate treatment with soil that had never received vernolate. Liberation of ¹⁴CO₂ from [¹⁴C]EPTC was more rapid in vernolate-treated soils than in untreated soils, indicating a development of microbial populations in soil capable of rapidly degrading the EPTC. Degradation of [¹⁴C]EPTC was faster in soil previously cropped with maize than in non-cropped soil, but slower in soils cropped with cotton or peanuts.     

Alternate pathways of metribuzin metabolism in soybean: Formation of N-glucoside and homoglutathione conjugates

Metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] metabolism was studied in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. Tracy]. Pulse treatment studies with seedlings and excised mature leaves showed that [5-¹⁴C]metribuzin was absorbed rapidly and translocated acropetally. In seedlings, >97% of the root-absorbed ¹⁴C was present in foliar tissues after 24 hr. In excised leaves, 50–60% of the absorbed ¹⁴C remained as metribuzin 48 hr after pulse treatment, 12–20% was present as polar metabolites, and 20–30% was present as an insoluble residue. Metabolites were isolated by solvent partitioning, and were purified by adsorption, ion-exchange, thin-layer, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The major metabolite (I) was identified as a homoglutathione conjugate, 4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-S-(γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-β-alanine)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one. Metabolite identification was confirmed by qualitative analysis of amino acid hydrolysis products, fast atom bombardment (FAB), and chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry, and by comparison with a reference glutathione conjugate synthesized in vitro with a hepatic microsomal oxidase system from rat. Minor metabolites were identified as an intermediate N-glucoside conjugate (II), a malonyl N-glucoside conjugate (III), and 4-malonylamido-6-tert-butyl-1,2,4-triazin-3,5(2H,4H)-dione (N-malonyl DK, IV) by CI and FAB mass spectrometry. Alternative pathways of metribuzin metabolism are proposed.     

Soybean shoot metabolism of isopropyl-3-chlorocarbanilate: Ortho and para aryl hydroxylation

This laboratory reported that isopropyl-3-chlorocarbanilate-phenyl-U-¹⁴C (chlorpropham-phenyl-¹⁴C) was absorbed, translocated, and metabolized by soybean plants. Both polar metabolites and insoluble residues were found in roots, whereas only polar metabolites were found in shoot tissues. In both roots and shoots the polar metabolites were shown to be the O-glucoside of isopropyl-2-hydroxy-5-chlorocarbanilate (2-hydroxy-chlorpropham). In shoot tissue there were other polar metabolites that were not identified. The experiments with soybeans have been repeated, but with new isolation and purification procedures. The plants were root treated with both chlorpropham-phenyl-¹⁴C and isopropyl-3-chlorocarbanilate-2-isopropyl-¹⁴C. The roots and shoots were extracted and separated into the polar, nonpolar, and insoluble metabolic components, using the Bligh-Dyer extraction method. The polar metabolites were separated by gel permeation chromatography. Further purification was accomplished on Amberlite XAD-2. The polar metabolites from the shoot and root tissues were hydrolyzed either by β-glucosidase or hesperidinase. The enzyme liberated aglycones were derivatized and separated by gas-liquid chromatography, and the components were characterized by mass spectrometry or NMR. The results of this study showed that the polar metabolites of soybean shoots were 2-hydroxy-chlorpropham and isopropyl-4-hydroxy-3-chlorocarbanilate (4-hydroxy-chlorpropham). These two hydroxy-chlorpropham metabolites were found in soybean shoots at a ratio of approximately 1:1. The only aglycone found in root tissue was 2-hydroxy-chlorpropham. Using the new procedures, no evidence was obtained for the presence of the unidentified polar metabolites that were previously observed in shoot tissues.     

Herbicide perfluidone (1,1,1-trifluoro-N-[2-methyl-4-(phenylsulfonyl)phenyl]methanesulfonamide): Its metabolism in rats and chickens

Rats and chickens were each given a single oral dose (10 or 100 mg/kg body wt) of 1,1,1-trifluoro-N-[2-methyl-4-(phenylsulfonyl)phenyl-¹⁴C(U)]methanesulfonamide ([¹⁴C]perfluidone). Depending on the size of the dose, from 8.4 to 36.2% of the [¹⁴C] was eliminated in the urine and from 36.4 to 85.4% was eliminated in the feces within 48 hr after dosing. Less than 1% of the [¹⁴C] given to laying hens as [¹⁴C]perfluidone was present in the eggs produced during the first 96 hr after dosing. The percentage of the administered [¹⁴C] that remained in these animals (body with G.I. tract and contents removed) varied from 0.34 (96 hr after dosing) to 1.68% (48 hr after dosing). ¹⁴C-labeled compunds in the urine and feces from the rats and chickens were purified by solvent extraction, column chromatography, and gas-liquid chromatography, and then identified by infrared and mass spectrometry. The parent compound was the major ¹⁴C-labeled component in the urine and feces of both animals. 1,1,1-Trifluoro-N-[2-methyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenylsulfonyl)phenyl]methanesulfonamide was present in the feces of both animals. The proposed structures of other metabolites were 1,1,1-trifluoro-N-hydroxy-N-[2-methyl-4-(phenylsulfonyl)phenyl]methanesulfonamide (rat urine) and 1,1,1-trifluoro-N-{2-methyl-4-[(methylsulfonyl)-phenylsulfonyl]phenyl}methanesulfonamide (chicken urine).     

Metabolic fate of [14C]photodieldrin in goldfish

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) exposed to 20 parts per billion [¹⁴C]photodieldrin in a static system absorbed 80% of the radioactivity within 20 hr. The absorbed radioactivity was eliminated slowly with a half-life of 3 weeks. Photodieldrin and a ketone derivative were the major form of the radiocarbon eliminated in water, accounting for, respectively, 59 and 10.4% of the eliminated radioactivity. The ketone derivative was characterized by cochromatography (thin-layer and gas chromatography, gc) and gc-mass spectrometry. Approximately, 15 other polar and nonpolar metabolites were detected in the aqueous medium. The radioactivity in the fish consisted of 13 metabolites along with photodieldrin. Photodieldrin and the ketone derivative were the most abundant residues in the fish, accounting for 77 and 5.4% of the radioactivity, respectively.     

Metabolism of [14C]dieldrin in bluegill fish

The exposure of bluegill fish to 50 parts per billion [¹⁴C]dieldrin in a static system resulted in the absorption of 73.00% of the radioactivity in 48 hr. Following transfer of the fish to clean water, only 16.20% of the absorbed radiolabel was eliminated in 23 days. Out of the 93.65% of the absorbed radioactivity recovered, 9 radioactive spots were isolated which included unchanged dieldrin (74.39%), pentachloroketone (8.17%), and aldrin-trans-diol (8.04%) as major metabolites.     

Alfalfa metabolism of propham

Root-treated alfalfa absorbs, translocates, and metabolizes [phenyl-¹⁴C]isopropyl carbanilate ([¹⁴C]propham). After 7 days of root treatment, the distribution of radiolabel was 73% for shoots and 27% for roots. Shoots and roots were extracted and separated into the polar, nonpolar, and solid residual components using a mixture of chloroform, methanol and water. The insoluble residues accounted for approximately 40% of the ¹⁴C found in shoots and roots. The nonpolar fraction (6.1% of the radiolabel in shoots and roots) was not characterized, but was shown to be some component other than parent propham. Propham was not found in either shoots or roots. The polar metabolites were partly purified on Amberlite XAD-2. Cellulase-liberated aglycones were derivatized and separated by high-performance liquid and gas-liquid chromatography. The infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectral data showed that the polar metabolites of alfalfa shoots and roots were glycoside conjugates of isopropyl 2-hydroxycarbanilate (2-hydroxypropham) and isopropyl 4-hydroxycarbanilate (4-hydroxypropham). Conjugated 4-hydroxypropham accounted for 45.9% of the ¹⁴C in the shoots and 3.4% of the ¹⁴C in the roots. Conjugated 2-hydroxypropham accounted for 3.4% of the ¹⁴C in the shoots and 1.4% of the ¹⁴C in the roots.     

Mercapturic acid formation in the metabolism of propachlor,CDAA, and fluorodifen in the rat

When [¹⁴C]F₃-fluorodifen (2,4′-dinitro-4-trifluoromethyl diphenylether), carbonyl-[¹⁴C]CDAA (N,N-diallyl-2-chloroacetamide), and carbonyl-¹⁴C-propachlor (2-chloro-N-isopropylacetanilide) were fed to rats, 57 to 86% of the ¹⁴C was excreted via the urine within 48 hr. Although very little radioactivity was excreted in the feces of CDAA-treated rats, 15–22% of the ¹⁴C was excreted in the feces of propachlor- of fluorodifentreated rats and an average of 8% of the ¹⁴C remained in these rats 48 hr after treatment. Oxidation of the ¹⁴C label to [¹⁴C]O₂ was not a major process in the metabolism of these herbicides. The only major radioactive metabolite present in the 24-h urine of fluorodifen-treated rats, 2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl mercapturic acid, accounted for 41% of the administered dose of ¹⁴C. In the metabolism of CDAA, the corresponding mercapturic acid accounted for 76% of the dose; it was the only major metabolite present in the 24-h urine. In contrast, three major metabolites were detected in the 24-h urine of propachlortreated rats, and the mercapturic acid accounted for only 20% of the dose. The mercapturic acid of each herbicide was identified by mass spectrometry.     

Aldicarb sulfoxidation by plant root extracts

Soybean root homogenates were found to oxidize aldicarb to aldicarb sulfoxide. Fractionation of soybean root homogenate indicates that the enzyme(s) which oxidize aldicarb to the sulfoxide are largely (63%) in the 25,000g supernatant. In vitro studies of the 25,000g supernatant showed a linear reaction rate at 24 and 34°C for periods of up to 2 and 1 hr, respectively, at the pH optimum of 5.5. Bean and soybean root 25,000g supernatants were the most active on a per milligram of protein basis followed by corn, sorghum, barley, and tomato (8–27 nmol/mg of protein/hr). A 140-fold purification of soybean root aldicarb sulfoxidase was achieved. In vitro studies indicated that methomyl, methiocarb, phorate, Counter, fensulfothion, fenthion, Nemacur, EPTC, vernolate, carboxin, dl-methionine, l-cysteine, l-methionyl-l-serine, thiodiglycolic acid, lipoic acid, thiourea, and thioacetic acid when present at a 10:1 ratio with aldicarb significantly inhibited soybean root aldicarb sulfoxidation.     

Tissue analysis and hemolymph translocation of [14C]chlorpyrifos sorbed from treated surfaces by American cockroaches

Using radiotracer methodology and dissection techniques it was demonstrated that [¹⁴]chlorpyrifos and/or its ¹⁴C-labeled metabolite(s) concentrated mainly in the gut tissues and malpighian tubules of American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus), following sorption from a treated surface. Significantly lower (P ≤ 0.10) amounts of ¹⁴C were present in testes samples and no radioactive material was detected in brain tissue. After 41.5–48 hr of exposure of adult male American cockroaches to sublethal concentrations of [¹⁴C]chlorpyrifos, radioactivity was detected in the hemolymph of all cockroaches tested. The hemolymph accounted for 30.83% of the total sorbed ¹⁴C. A parabiotic experiment confirmed translocation of chlorpyrifos and/or its ¹⁴C-labeled metabolite(s) in hemolymph.     

Effect of hepatic enzyme inducers on the in vivo and in vitro metabolism of dicrotophos,dimethoate, and phosphamidon in mice

Daily 75 mg/kg phenobarbital ip injections for 3 days or 25 ppm dieldrin in the diet of mice for 14 days caused an increase in liver cytochrome P-450 and blood B-esterase. Liver A-esterase was not significantly increased. Under in vitro conditions, phenobarbital and dieldrin induced the oxidative as well as hydrolytic metabolism of dicrotophos, dimethoate, and phosphamidon by liver homogenates or combined microsomes plus 105,000g supernatant fractions. The concentration of dimethoxon was increased more than fourfold by the pretreatments after incubation for 4 hr at 37.5°C with NADPH added. The organophosphorus insecticides used in this study were not metabolized as well by the liver microsomes alone or 105,000g supernatant alone, as by the combination of microsomes and 105,000g supernatant. Under in vivo conditions in mice, phenobarbital and dieldrin treatments increased the urinary recovery of metabolites in the initial 6 hr after [¹⁴C]carbonyl-dimethoate or [¹⁴C]N-ethyl-phosphamidon administration. Analysis of urine showed that the inducers caused a more than sixfold increase in dimethoxon recovered and twofold increase in water-soluble nontoxic metabolites within 6 hr after dimethoate administration. With phosphamidon both inducers increased the rate of metabolism, and the total recovery in aqueous and chloroform fractions was decreased. These results suggest that increased dimethoate toxicity after phenobarbital and dieldrin treatments in whole animals results from stimulation of the activation of dimethoate to dimethoxon, while the increase in hydrolytic products after both pretreatments results in decreased toxicity of the direct acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, dicrotophos and phosphamidon.     

Metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide] inhibition of gibberellin precursor biosynthesis

[2-¹⁴C]Mevalonic acid incorporation into gibberellic acid precursors was measured in cell-free extracts from sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench var. G-522 DR] coleoptiles. ¹⁴C incorporation into ent-kaur-16-ene was inhibited ca. 90% by 10^?7 to 10^?4M metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide]. [¹⁴C]Geranylgeraniol (GG) content increased. [¹⁴C]Farnesol content was not altered and [¹⁴C]geraniol content decreased. Total ¹⁴C incorporation was decreased by metolachlor. In the safener [α-(cyanomethoximino)benacetonitrile]-treated sorghum seed coleoptile cell-free system, total ¹⁴C incorporation increased, [¹⁴C]kaurene and relative kaurence content increased 4× up to 10⁵M metolachlor, and [¹⁴C]farnesol, and [¹⁴C]GG contents increased while relative farnesol and relative GG contents were not influenced by metolachlor. Thus, the inhibition of kaurene synthesis by metolachlor was reversed by the safener. Since the biosynthetic processes are mevalonic acid → geraniol → farnesol → GG → copalylol → kaurene, these data corroborate a proposed gibberellic acid biosynthesis inhibition between GG and kaurene as well as a partial blockage between mevalonic acid and geraniol. Thus, a portion of metolachlor-induced growth inhibitions of sorghum could be explicable on the basis of gibberellic acid biosynthesis inhibitions.     

A study of ethylene and CO2 evolution from ethephon in tobacco

Buffers and leaf discs of mature tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were utilized to study [¹⁴C]-ethylene and ¹⁴CO₂ evolution from radiolabeled ethephon, (2-chloroethyl)phosphonic acid. Metabolic fate of [¹⁴C]ethephon in leaf discs was investigated by use of thin-layer chromatography, high-voltage paper electrophoresis, autoradiography, and liquid scintillation spectroscopy. The evolution of labeled ethylene generally increased with increasing buffer pH, buffer volume, and dosage of [¹⁴C]ethephon. [¹⁴C]Ethylene was evolved, increasingly with time, from [¹⁴C]ethephon either added to the buffer or applied to leaf discs. The rate of [¹⁴C]ethylene evolution was maximum during the first day and leveled off on the fourth day. More than 50% of the total [¹⁴C]ethylene evolution over a 96-hr period was recovered during the first 24 hr after [¹⁴C]ethephon application. No ¹⁴CO₂ was evolved when [¹⁴C]ethephon was degraded in the presence of buffer or leaf discs. Only ethephon itself, and no detectable metabolite thereof, was discovered in the methanolic extract of the leaf disc tissue. An insignificant amount of ¹⁴C activity (approximately 2% of the extracted ¹⁴C) was detected in the residue. By means of gas chromatography, it was confirmed that in buffers and tobacco leaf tissue ethephon breaks down to release ethylene but not CO₂.     

Acifluorfen metabolism in soybean: Diphenylether bond cleavage and the formation of homoglutathione, cysteine, and glucose conjugates

Metabolism of the substituted diphenylether herbicide, acifluorfen [sodium 5-(2-chloro-4-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate], was studied in excised leaf tissues of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘Evans’]. Studies with [chlorophenyl-¹⁴C]- and [nitrophenyl-¹⁴C]acifluorfen showed that the diphenylether bond was rapidly cleaved. From 85 to 95% of the absorbed [¹⁴C]acifluorfen was metabolized in less than 24 hr. Major polar metabolites were isolated and purified by solvent partitioning, adsorption, thin layer, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The major [chlorophenyl-¹⁴C]-labeled metabolite was identified as a malonyl-β- -glucoside (I) of 2-chloro-4-trifluoromethylphenol. Major [nitrophenyl-¹⁴C]-labeled metabolites were identified as a homoglutathione conjugate [S-(3-carboxy-4-nitrophenyl) γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-β-alanine] (II), and a cysteine conjugate [S-(3-carboxy-4-nitrophenyl)cysteine] (III).     

Alachlor influence on sorghum growth and gibberellin precursor synthesis

Growth (14 days) of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. cv G522 DR) from seed planted in sand into which alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] was uniformly incorporated (0, 0.07, 0.14, 0.28, 0.56, 1.12, 2.24, or 4.48 kg/ha) was reduced by 0.14 kg/ha and severely inhibited (88%) by 0.56 kg/ha while cellular water cotent was not greatly influenced by 0.56 kg/ha. When added into the nutrient solution bathing the roots of 96-hr sorghum seedlings, alachlor (0, 0.0156, 0.0312, 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 ppmw) was not lethal to 14-day-old sorghum at rates up to 32 ppmw (92% survival); however, shoot and root lengths were reduced 43 and 58%, respectively. Alachlor inhibition of sorghum growth appears to be closely associated with inhibition of cell enlargement; the coleoptile is the most susceptible stage of sorghum growth to alachlor. This situation closely resembles growth where gibberellic acid (GA) synthesis is inhibited. [2-¹⁴C]Mevalonic acid ([2-¹⁴C]MVA) incorporation into terpenoid GA precursors was evaluated using a cell-free enzyme system from etiolated sorghum coleoptiles. Alachlor did not inhibit total ¹⁴C incorporation but incorporation of ¹⁴C into kaurenol and sterols was decreased ca 80 and 75%, respectively, by 10^?6M alachlor. Analyses for [¹⁴C]geranylgeraniol (GG), [¹⁴C]farnesol, and [¹⁴C]geraniol contents showed accumulation of [¹⁴C]farnesol and [¹⁴C]GG, and decreased [¹⁴C]geraniol. When seeds to which CGA-43089 [α-(cyanomethoximino)-benzacetonitrile] was applied 8 weeks prior to planting were substituted for untreated seeds, incorporation of [2-¹⁴C]MVA into [¹⁴C]kaurenol was increased by alachlor while [¹⁴C]GG and [¹⁴C]farnesol accumulated and [¹⁴C]geraniol was absent at 10^?6M alachlor. Additionally, sterol content increased in “safened” systems but was still decreased by alachlor. These data demonstrate multiple sites of alachlor activity in the GA and terpenoid biosynthetic pathway.     

Effects of the herbicide EPTC and the protectant DDCA on incorporation and distribution of [2-14C]acetate into major lipid fractions of maize cell suspension cultures

The rapid effects of the herbicide EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate) and the protectant DDCA (N,N-diallyl-2,2-dichloroacetamide) on [2-¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into lipids of maize cell cultures were studied in order to determine whether they act at similar sites of lipid synthesis. DDCA, at 0.05 mM and 0.1 mM, increased the incorporation of [2-¹⁴C]acetate into neutral lipids of a total lipid extract within 2 h. It had very little effect on the major polar lipid constituents. DDCA altered neither the distribution of label within the major lipid classes, nor turnover of the major lipids within 2 h. EPTC (0.1 mM) inhibited overall uptake of [2-¹⁴C]acetate into both neutral and polar lipids by about 30% after a 2-h incubation. The major polar lipid affected was an unidentified glycolipid. In addition to reducing the quantity of lipids synthesized, EPTC changed the lipid profile, altering the distribution of label, mainly within the neutral lipid fraction. A crude membrane fraction from maize cells contained both polar lipids and some neutral lipids. DDCA stimulated [2-¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into different lipid species. EPTC inhibited incorporation of [2-¹⁴C]acetate into both neutral and polar membrane lipids but altered significantly only its distribution into neutral lipids. DDCA (0.1 mM) given together with EPTC (0.2 mM) partially counteracted the effect of EPTC within the neutral lipid fraction. It is suggested that DDCA has a rapid effect on lipid synthesis, but it is probably not sufficient to account for the entire mode of action of the protectant.