Studies on Foliar Penetration: IV. MECHANISMS CONTROLLING THE RATE OF PENETRATION OF 2,4-DICHLOROPHENOXYACETIC ACID (2,4-D) INTO LEAVES OF PHASEOLUS VULGARIS

The effects of a wide range of metabolic inhibitors on the penetrationof 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) into the leaf disksof Phaseolus vulgaris have been studied. While recognizing thelack of specificity of most inhibitors, compounds were chosenwhich are known to affect respiration, phosphorylation, photosynthesis,membrane permeability, protein synthesis, and the binding capacityof membrane systems. They were: fluoride, azide, arsenite, iodoacetate,arsenate, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl), -I,I-dimethylurea (DCMU), phenylmercuric chloride, octenylsuccinicacid, decenylsuccinic acid, dimethyl sulphoxide, actinomycin-D,chloramphenicol, streptomycin, 5-fluorouracil, cycloheximide,and cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB).At sub-toxic levelsall compounds had little or no influence on penetration in darknesssave for iodoacetate and decenylsuccinic acid, which causedsome enhanced entry at 10^-4M and 10^-3M respectively, and CTABwhich promoted penetration at concentrations known tolower thesurface tension of water.The much greater rate of penetrationof 2,4-D into disks exposed to bright light (16 000 lx) is unaffectedby fluoride, azide, DNP, octenylsuccinic acid, decenylsuccinicacid, dimethyl sulphoxide, or actinomycin-D. It is, however,progressively inhibited by increasing concentrations of arsenite,iodoacetate, arsenate, streptomycin, and 5-fluorouracil. Chloramphenicol,cycloheximide, and CTAB lower the rate of penetration at intermediateconcentrations but at high concentrations the affect is reversed.The most active inhibitors of light-induced penetration areDCMU and phenylmercuric chloride, compounds which block theproduction of ATP.These results are discussed in relation tomechanisms of transport, in particular the structureand stabilityof barriers likely to impede penetration.