Characterization of herbicidal injury by acifluorfen-methyl in excised cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cotyledons

Initial signs of herbicidal injury by several diphenyl ether herbicides were monitored by following the efflux of ⁸⁶Rb⁺ from treated cucumber (Cucumis sativis L.) cotyledons after exposure to light (600 μE m^?2 sec^?1; measured as PAR, i.e., photosynthetically active radiation between 400 and 700 nm). This very sensitive, rapid, and quantitative bioassay proved quite useful in (a) a structure-activity correlations study of the diphenyl ether compounds investigated and (b) an examination of herbicidal characteristics. The following diphenyl ether herbicides were analyzed: acifluorfen, sodium 5-2-chloro-4-(trifluormethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoate; acifluorfen-methyl (MC-10108), methyl 5-2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoate; bifenox, methyl 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate; nitrofen, 2,4-dichlorophenyl p-nitrophenyl ether; nitrofluorfen, 2-chloro-1-(4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene; oxyfluorfen, 2-chloro-1-(3-ethoxy-4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene; MC-7783, potassium 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate; and MC-10982, ethyl 5-2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoate. Of the compounds investigated, acifluorfen-methyl (AFM) had the greatest degree of herbicidal activity. Cucumber cotyledons placed in high light (600 μE m^?2 sec^?1; PAR) with 10 nM AFM showed a significant increase in the efflux of ⁸⁶Rb⁺ within 2 to 4 hr. Light was required for herbicidal activity by AFM, and when treated cotyledons were returned to darkness, no further damage to the tissue occurred. By decreasing the quantity of light, the effect of the compound was delayed, although the magnitudes of the responses at the different intensities (600, 300, 150, and 75 μE m^?2 sec^?1; PAR) were nearly equal. By increasing the length of time of dark pretreatment with 1 μM AFM, ⁸⁶Rb⁺ efflux could be detected as early as 10 to 15 min after exposure to light (600 μE m^?2 sec^?1; PAR). Following light activation of AFM there was a simultaneous efflux of ⁸⁶Rb⁺, ³⁶Cl^?, ⁴⁵Ca²⁺, 3-O-methyl-¹⁴C]glucose, and ¹⁴C]methylamine⁺. These data suggest the initial response to the herbicidal activity of AFM is expressed as a general increase in membrane permeability.