Fate of Safening Agent L-2-Oxothiazolidine-4-Carboxylic Acid in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
The herbicide safener OTC (L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid) increased the amount of reduced thiol compounds in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench. ‘DK 427′] seedlings. When seedlings were grown in liquid culture medium containing35S-OTC, the compound was metabolized to radiolabeled cysteine and glutathione. The addition of tridiphane [2-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)oxirane] increased conversion of35S-OTC to cysteine and resulted in the formation of one additional35S-labeled compound. When35S-glutathione was injected into germinating seeds it was converted to35S-cysteine and both thiols were subsequently found in roots and shoots. Seeds injected with35S-OTC both translocated the compound to developing roots and shoots and metabolized35S-OTC to cysteine and glutathione. Excised roots and shoots also metabolized35S-OTC to the thiols. In an in vitro assay the enzyme 5-oxoprolinase converted OTC to cysteine.