Effect of Butachlor on the Biosynthesis of Lipid, Protein, and Nucleic Acid in Three Isolated Plant Cells

Abstract

About one half of lipid synthesis was inhibited in Chlorella (46%), tobacco leaf cell (58%), and rice embryo cell (45%) when the isolated cell was incubated at 70μM of Butachlor for 4hr. A thirty percent difference of unincorporated acetate pool size between 70μM of butachlor treated (71%) and untreated (41%) tobacco leaf cells was found in lipid synthesis, but no significant difference was observed in that of Chlorella and rice embryo cells. Within 30min incubation at 70μM of butachlor, protein synthesis was inhibited by 79, 59, and 38% for Chlorella, tobacco leaf cells, and rice embryo cells, respectively, and the inhibition was increased by 92, 95 and 85%, respectively, at 8hr. In contrast to untreated cells, there were 69, 62, and 39% larger pools of absorbed ₁₄C-leucine after treatment of the three cell types with 70μM of butachlor. However, total leucine uptake showed in treated cells was only 52, 37, and 51%, respectively, of that in control. Butachlor inhibited RNA synthesis at 70μM, but at lower concentrations, even stimulation was found.