Inhibition of plant glutamine synthetases by substituted phosphinothricins

Abstract

Glutamine synthetase (GS) utilizes various substituted glutamic acids as substrates. We have used this information to design herbicidal α- and γ-substituted analogs of phosphinothricin (L-2-amino-4-(hydroxymethylphosphinyl)butanoic acid, PPT), a naturally occurring GS inhibitor and a potent herbicide. The substituted phosphinothricins inhibit cytosolic sorghum GS1 and chloroplastic GS2 competitively versus L-glutamate, with Ki values in the low micromolar range. At higher concentrations, these inhibitors inactivate glutamine synthetase, while dilution restores activity through enzyme-inhibitor dissociation. Herbicidal phosphinothricins exhibit low Ki values and slow enzyme turnover, as described by reactivation characteristics. Both the GS1 and GS2 isoforms of plant glutamine synthetase are similarly inhibited by the phosphinothricins, consistent with the broad-spectrum herbicidal activity observed for PPT itself as well as other active compounds in this series.