Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hetherington, P.
Right arrow Articles by Kirkwood, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Hetherington, P.
Right arrow Articles by Kirkwood, R.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Hetherington, P.
Right arrow Articles by Kirkwood, R.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol 50, 1567-1576, Copyright © 1999 by Oxford University Press


ARTICLES

The absorption, translocation and distribution of the herbicide glyphosate in maize expressing the CP-4 transgene

P Hetherington, T Reynolds, G Marshall and R Kirkwood
Department of Plant Biology, Plant Science Division, SAC Auchincruive, Ayr KA6 5HW, UK; Monsanto Company, 800 N. Lindbergh Blvd, Mail Zone Q2D, St Louis MO 63167, USA; Corresponding author; Fax: +44 1292 525314; E-mail: G.Marshall@au.sac.ac.uk

Maize (Zea mays L. var. Bonnie) transformed with a gene encoding a 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase with altered sensitivity showed over 100-fold greater resistance to the herbicide glyphosate (N-[phosphonomethyl]glycine) in comparison with its non-transformed progenitor (parental control) at the third-leaf stage. Studies with [14C]-glyphosate at a dosage lethal to the parental control, but sublethal to the transgenic, revealed that a maximum of 45-65% of the applied dose was absorbed, with greater absorption occurring in transgenic plants. Translocation of glyphosate was closely related to its absorption (r value 0.956) with approximately 15% more of the applied dose being mobilized in transgenic plants than the parental controls. Analysis of electronic autoradiograms along the treated leaf lamina found discrete internal regions of glyphosate accumulation closely associated with the site of application. These regions contained lower amounts of glyphosate present in the treated leaf lamina was almost completely translocated in transgenic plants, while in the parental controls more remained and the leaf became necrotic. In both types of maize there was a small accumulation of herbicide in the tip region of the leaf which was not mobilized. Younger shoot tissues and roots were major sinks for translocated glyphosate accumulating approximately 25-40% of the applied dose depending upon treatment. In the parental control, equal amounts of glyphosate were found distributed between young shoot tissues and roots; while in transgenic plants, the young shoot tissue accumulated around three times more glyphosate than the roots. In both plant types, glyphosate was localized in the meristems and young, actively growing leaves. Specific glyphosate activity (the amount of glyphosate per unit dry weight of tissue) in the major sinks of the transgenic declined towards the end of the treatment period but remained relatively constant in the parental control. In conclusion, enhancing glyphosate resistance by genetic transformation influenced the absorption, translocation and distribution of this herbicide in whole plants.Keywords: Zea mays, glyphosate (N-[phosphonomethyl]-glycine), transgenic, absorption, translocation, source-sink.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Crop Sci.Home page
G. R. Heck, C. L. Armstrong, J. D. Astwood, C. F. Behr, J. T. Bookout, S. M. Brown, T. A. Cavato, D. L. DeBoer, M. Y. Deng, C. George, et al.
Development and Characterization of a CP4 EPSPS-Based, Glyphosate-Tolerant Corn Event
Crop Sci., January 1, 2005; 45(1): 329 - 339.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.