R. Edwards, W. Owen
Jul 1, 1989
Citations
1
Influential Citations
28
Citations
Journal
Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology
Abstract
Abstract The metabolism of the chloro- s -triazine herbicide atrazine and the methylthio- s -triazine terbutryne has been compared in suspension-cultured cells of wheat (Heines Koga II) and potato (Desiree). Atrazine was detoxified by N -desethylation in wheat and by glutathione conjugation in potato. Potato cells were shown to have glutathione S -transferase (EC 2.5.1.18) activity toward atrazine. However, neither potato nor wheat cells formed hydroxyatrazine. In both species terbutryne was metabolized by sulfoxidation followed by hydrolysis to give hydroxyterbutryne. The major metabolite in potato was the N -hydroxyethyl derivative of hydroxyterbutryne. In wheat cells, N -desethylation was a minor reaction of terbutryne compared with atrazine. The sulfoxide of terbutryne did not appear to be a substrate for glutathione S -transferase in potato. These results confirm that the detoxifying systems of plants are highly substrate specific.