title: Impairment of carbon metabolism induced by the herbicide glyphosate.
abstract: The herbicide glyphosate reduces plant growth and causes plant death by inhibiting the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. The objective of this work was to determine whether glyphosate-treated plants show a carbon metabolism pattern comparable to that of plants treated with herbicides that inhibit branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. Glyphosate-treated plants showed impaired carbon metabolism with an accumulation of carbohydrates in the leaves and roots. The growth inhibition detected after glyphosate treatment suggested impaired metabolism that impedes the utilization of available carbohydrates or energy at the expected rate. These effects were common to both types of amino acid biosynthesis inhibitors. Under aerobic conditions, ethanolic fermentative metabolism was enhanced in the roots of glyphosate-treated plants. This fermentative response was not related to changes in the respiratory rate or to a limitation of the energy charge. This response, which was similar for both types of herbicides, might be considered a general response to stress conditions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias del Medio Natural, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Campus Arrosadia, E-31006 Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orcaray
authors.forename: Amaia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zulet
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zabalza
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Royuela
mesh_terms: D000095:Acetolactate Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000613:Aminobutyrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D005285:Fermentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000097797:Glyphosate
chemical_list: D000095:Acetolactate Synthase; D000613:Aminobutyrates; D005998:Glycine; D006540:Herbicides; D000097797:Glyphosate; C003121:phosphinothricin