Effect of DCMU, Simazine and Atrazine on Nitrate Reductase Activity in Hordeum vulgare in vitro

The effect of three herbicides—DCMU (1,1-dimethyl-3- (3,4-dichlorophenyl) -urea), Simazine (2,4-bis(ethylamino)- 6-chloro-s-triazine), and Atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-iso-propylamino-5-triazine)—on the induction of nitrate reduc–tase and its in vivo activity was studied in detached leaves of Hordeum vulgare L. All increased both extractable nitrate reductase activity and nitrate content. The increases occurred at optimum temperatures for growth and at several concentrations of nitrate. It was also determined that the herbicides did not protect the enzyme against inactivation in vivo. Although the extractable nitrate reductase was greater, the in vivo activity of nitrate reductase was decreased in the presence of the herbicides resulting in a higher internal concentration of nitrate. Since in viva nitrate reduction is dependent upon photosynthesis it is reasonable that reduction is decreased by these known inhibitors of photosynthesis. Hence, the effect of the inhibitors on induction of nitrate reductase activity may be secondary. The higher concentration of nitrate resulting from a decreased rate of in vivo reduction in the presence of the inhibitors could conceivably be responsible for the greater corutent of nitrate reductase.