Effect of herbicide antidotes on glutathione content and glutathione S-transferase activity of sorghum shoots

The effects of the herbicide antidotes CGA-92194 (α-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl-methoxy)-imino]benzeneacetonitrile), flurazole phenylmethyl 2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)-5-thiazolecarboxylate], dichlormid (2,2-dichloro-N,N-di-2-propenylacetamide), and naphthalic anhydride (1H,3H-naphtho(1,8-cd)-pyran-1,3-dione) on nonprotein thiol content, glutathione content, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in etiolated sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Moench) shoots were examined. CGA-92194 and naphthalic anhydride had no effect on nonprotein thiol or reduced glutathione (GSH) content of sorghum shoots. In contrast, dichlormid and flurazole increased nonprotein thiol content of sorghum shoots by 24 and 48%, respectively. These increases were largely attributable to an increase in GSH. The antidotes increased GST activity less than twofold when using CDNB (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene) as a substrate. In contrast, when using metolachlor 2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide] as a substrate, the increase in GST activity in response to antidote treatment was much greater: flurazole (30-fold), CGA-92194 (20-fold), naphthalic anhydride (17-fold), dichlormid (5-fold). The degree of protection from metolachlor injury conferred by a particular antidote was strongly correlated (R² = 0.95) with its ability to enhance GST activity, as evaluated with metolachlor as substrate. A comparison of GST activity in untreated and CGA-92194-treated seedlings, over a range of metolachlor concentrations (0.5–500 μM), indicated that the relative enhancement of enzyme activity by CGA-92194 was greater at lower metolachlor concentrations. The rate of nonenzymatic conjugation of metolachlor and GSH in vitro was much less (on a gram fresh weight equivalent basis) than the enzymatic rate. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the above antidotes protect sorghum by enhancing GST activity which results in accelerated detoxification of metolachlor via GSH conjugation.