Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.

Chemical herbicides are the primary weed management tool, although several incidences of herbicide resistance have emerged, causing serious threat to agricultural sustainability. Plant derived phenolic acids with herbicidal potential provide organic and eco-friendly substitute to such harmful chemic...

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Main Authors: Sobia Anwar, Saadia Naseem, Zahid Ali
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277146
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author Sobia Anwar
Saadia Naseem
Zahid Ali
author_facet Sobia Anwar
Saadia Naseem
Zahid Ali
author_sort Sobia Anwar
collection DOAJ
description Chemical herbicides are the primary weed management tool, although several incidences of herbicide resistance have emerged, causing serious threat to agricultural sustainability. Plant derived phenolic acids with herbicidal potential provide organic and eco-friendly substitute to such harmful chemicals. In present study, phytotoxicity of two phenolic compounds, ferulic acid (FA) and gallic acid (GA), was evaluated in vitro and in vivo against three prevalent herbicide-resistant weed species (Sinapis arvensis, Lolium multiflorum and Parthenium hysterophorus). FA and GA not only suppressed the weed germination (80 to 60% respectively), but also negatively affected biochemical and photosynthetic pathway of weeds. In addition to significantly lowering the total protein and chlorophyll contents of the targeted weed species, the application of FA and GA treatments increased levels of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation. Photosynthetic gene (psbA) expression was downregulated (10 to 30 folds) post 48 h of phenolic application. In silico analysis for receptor identification of FA and GA in psbA protein (D1) showed histidine (his-198) and threonine (thr-286) as novel receptors of FA and GA. These two receptors differ from the D1 amino acid receptors which have previously been identified (serine-264 and histidine-215) in response to PSII inhibitor herbicides. Based on its toxicity responses, structural analogs of FA were also designed. Four out of twelve analogs (0.25 mM) significantly inhibited weed germination (30 to 40%) while enhancing their oxidative stress. These results are unique which provide fundamental evidence of phytotoxicity of FA and GA and their analogs to develop cutting-edge plant based bio-herbicides formulation in future.
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spelling doaj.art-c642aaf4ef2b47f4a282e96e9a0337132023-04-12T05:32:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01183e027714610.1371/journal.pone.0277146Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.Sobia AnwarSaadia NaseemZahid AliChemical herbicides are the primary weed management tool, although several incidences of herbicide resistance have emerged, causing serious threat to agricultural sustainability. Plant derived phenolic acids with herbicidal potential provide organic and eco-friendly substitute to such harmful chemicals. In present study, phytotoxicity of two phenolic compounds, ferulic acid (FA) and gallic acid (GA), was evaluated in vitro and in vivo against three prevalent herbicide-resistant weed species (Sinapis arvensis, Lolium multiflorum and Parthenium hysterophorus). FA and GA not only suppressed the weed germination (80 to 60% respectively), but also negatively affected biochemical and photosynthetic pathway of weeds. In addition to significantly lowering the total protein and chlorophyll contents of the targeted weed species, the application of FA and GA treatments increased levels of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation. Photosynthetic gene (psbA) expression was downregulated (10 to 30 folds) post 48 h of phenolic application. In silico analysis for receptor identification of FA and GA in psbA protein (D1) showed histidine (his-198) and threonine (thr-286) as novel receptors of FA and GA. These two receptors differ from the D1 amino acid receptors which have previously been identified (serine-264 and histidine-215) in response to PSII inhibitor herbicides. Based on its toxicity responses, structural analogs of FA were also designed. Four out of twelve analogs (0.25 mM) significantly inhibited weed germination (30 to 40%) while enhancing their oxidative stress. These results are unique which provide fundamental evidence of phytotoxicity of FA and GA and their analogs to develop cutting-edge plant based bio-herbicides formulation in future.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277146
spellingShingle Sobia Anwar
Saadia Naseem
Zahid Ali
Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.
PLoS ONE
title Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.
title_full Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.
title_fullStr Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.
title_full_unstemmed Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.
title_short Biochemical analysis, photosynthetic gene (psbA) down-regulation, and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs.
title_sort biochemical analysis photosynthetic gene psba down regulation and in silico receptor prediction in weeds in response to exogenous application of phenolic acids and their analogs
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277146
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