Mechanism of action of allelochemicals in allelopathy.
1995
Einhellig F.A.
The primary mode of action has not been established for any allelopathic compound, albeit some physiological actions are known. The array of compounds cuts across many chemical classes, and it is unlikely they have a common mechanism of action. Allelochemicals active against higher plants are typically characterized as suppressing seed germination, causing injury to root growth and other meristems, or inhibiting seedling growth. A primary action on ATP production is indicated for the two quinones, juglone and sorgoleone, since they inhibit chloroplast oxygen evolution (I50 = 0.2 and 2.0 micromolar respectively) and strongly affect mitochondrial functions. The chloroplast block by sorgoleone is in the photosystem II complex. Cinnamic and benzoic acid derivatives alter membrane potential and have several physiological effects that suggest membrane perturbations are their initial site of action. Their thresholds (100 to 1000 micromolar) for inhibition of seedling growth, singly or in combinations, correlate with impairment of plant-water relationships. These phenolic compounds also alter mineral uptake, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, carbon flow, and phytohormone activity. Phytotoxicity of many allelopathic chemicals may be from a generalized cellular disruption rather than a specific mechanism. A case study of Sorghum allelopathy suggests that inhibition of a receiving species results from the joint action of a number of allelochemicals with different cellular sites of action.
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