A differential basis of antifungal activity of acylalanine fungicides and structurally related chloroacetanilide herbicides in Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. medicaginis

The acylalanine fungicides CGA 29212 and metalaxyl inhibit colony growth of Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. medicaginis at much lower concentrations than structurally related chloroacetanilide herbicides. Metolachlor, among the latter, shows the highest antifungal activity, followed by propachlor. Dimethachlor and alachlor are only weakly inhibitory. A metalaxyl- and CGA 29212-resistant strain of P. megasperma f. sp. medicaginis shows cross-resistance to metolachlor and propachlor, but levels of resistance are much lower than observed with CGA 29212 and metalaxyl. Cross-resistance does not occur to dimethachlor and alachlor. All compounds except metalaxyl inhibit uptake of ³H]uridine by mycelium, propachlor being most effective. Effects are similar with both a metalaxyl-sensitive and a -resistant strain. CGA 29212, metalaxyl, and metolachlor inhibit incorporation of ³H]uridine into RNA by mycelium of the sensitive strain at concentrations not inhibitory to uptake. Metalaxyl slightly affects incorporation by mycelium of the resistant strain; the other compounds have a more pronounced effect but only at concentrations inhibitory to uptake. Metalaxyl, CGA 29212, and propachlor do not induce leakage of radioactivity from mycelium of both strains when added at high concentrations to cultures previously incubated with ³H]uridine; under these conditions incorporation by mycelium of the metalaxyl-resistant strain is significantly more affected by CGA 29212 and propachlor than by metalaxyl. Endogenous RNA polymerase activity of isolated nuclei from a metalaxyl-sensitive strain is inhibited by CGA 29212, metalaxyl, and metolachlor but not by propachlor, dimethachlor, and alachlor. Neither compound has any effect on endogenous RNA polymerase activity of isolated nuclei from a metalaxyl-resistant strain. CGA 29212 and metolachlor evidently have a metalaxyl-type of action. The presence of cross-resistance of the metalaxyl-resistant strain to propachlor also indicates a metalaxyl-type of action for this compound, although this could not be confirmed by an inhibitory effect of propachlor on endogenous RNA polymerase activity. In addition to a metalaxyl-type of action, CGA 29212, metolachlor, and propachlor have a second one that is also present in dimethachlor and alachlor, which lack the metalaxyl-type of action. The second mechanism of action, involving inhibition of ³H]uridine uptake, is most prominent with propachlor and might be related to the primary mechanism of action in plants of the chloroacetanilide herbicides.