Chloroplast-Diphenyl Ether Interactions II.

Acifluorfen, a p-nitrodiphenyl ether herbicide, is inhibitory to those photosynthetic functions that require a functioning chloroplast envelope. Functions involving the stroma are also affected. Acifluorfen does not lyse intact spinach chloroplasts, yet does increase the sensitivity of CO(2)-dependent O(2) evolution to exogenous inorganic phosphate without directly affecting the function of the phosphate translocator. Acifluorfen penetrates into the chloroplast stroma in a light-independent fashion. Once inside, it causes the inactivation of light and dithiothreitol-activated fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase. Light-activated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (NADP) is also inactivated by acifluorfen.These data suggest that acifluorfen stimulates a pathway for inactivation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (NADP) which uses oxygen as a terminal oxidant and which involves thioredoxin and ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase.