Effect of Some Biocides on Glutathione-s-transferase in Barley, Wheat, Lentil and Chickpea Plants

Authors: GÜLSEREN COŞKUN, FİGEN ZİHNİOĞLU

Abstract: The conjugation of glutathione with herbicides and insecticides is considered to be one of the major detoxification mechanisms of plants. This conjugation is catalysed by a family of multifunctional proteins known as glutathione-s-transferases. Treatment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Cumhuriyet-75), barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Kaya), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Ispanyol), and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. cv. Kışlık-kırmızı-51) with the selective herbicides 2,4-D (2,4-Dichloro phenoxyacetic acid) and linuron (N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N´-methoxy-N´-methyl urea), and insecticides parathion methyl (O,O-dimethyl O-(4-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate) and malathion (S-1,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate) caused a progressive increase in glutathione-s-transferase activity in roots and shoots. The maximum increase in enzyme activity was observed in parathion methyl treated wheat roots: 485% of control with a parathion methyl concentration of 1.37 mM. A similar but lower increase in glutathione (GSH) levels was observed for roots and shoots, differing according to the origin and the type of pesticide.

Keywords: Glutathione-s-transferase, detoxification, pesticide

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