Identity and Activity of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Metabolites in Wild Radish ( Raphanus raphanistrum)

Identification of a Novel 2,4-D Metabolic Detoxification Pathway in 2,4-D-Resistant Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus)

A 2,4-dichlorophenoxyactic acid (2,4-D)-resistant population of Amaranthus tuberculatus (common waterhemp) from Nebraska, USA, was previously found to have rapid metabolic detoxification of the synthetic auxin herbicide 2,4-D. We purified the main 2,4-D metabolites from resistant and susceptible plants, solved their structures by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and synthesized the metabolites to determine their in planta toxicity. Susceptible plants conjugated 2,4-D to aspartate to form 2,4-D-aspartic acid (2,4-D-Asp), while resistant plants had a unique metabolic profile where 2,4-D was hydroxylated into 5-OH-2,4-D, followed by conjugation into a sugar metabolite (2,4-D-5-O-d-glucopyranoside) and subsequent malonylation into 2,4-D-(6'-O-malonyl)-5-O-d-glucopyranoside. Toxicological studies on waterhemp and Arabidopsis thaliana confirmed that the hydroxylated metabolite lost its auxinic action and toxicity. In contrast, the 2,4-D-Asp metabolite found in susceptible plants retained some auxinic action and toxicity. These results demonstrate that 2,4-D-resistant A. tuberculatus evolved novel detoxification reactions not present in susceptible plants to rapidly metabolize 2,4-D, potentially mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes that perform the initial 5-hydroxylation reaction. This novel mechanism is more efficient to detoxify 2,4-D and produces metabolites with lower toxicity compared to the aspartic acid conjugation found in susceptible waterhemp.

Identity, Synthesis, and Cytotoxicity of Forchlorfenuron Metabolites in Kiwifruit

Forchlorfenuron (CPPU) is a plant growth regulator widely used in kiwifruit production. Although research on the toxicological and environmental effects of CPPU is well-established, the nature and toxicological properties of its metabolites are much less well-known. Using high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance, the CPPU previously unidentified metabolites in Xuxiang and Jinyan kiwifruit were identified as N-(2-chloro-4-pyridinyl)-N'-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-urea (metabolite 1) and N-phenyl-N'-4-pyridinylurea (metabolite 2, CAS: 1932-35-0). Their structures were confirmed by synthesis (metabolite 1) and by comparison with a commercial standard (metabolite 2). Quantitative studies demonstrate that CPPU and its metabolites are mainly retained in the kiwifruit peel, while the content is dependent on the nature of the peel surface, with the smoother peel of Jinyan kiwifruit retaining smaller amounts of the compound. Cell viability experiments in Caco2 and Lo2 cells show that the metabolites may have a lower cytotoxicity compared to the parent compound CPPU.