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Articles

Comparative Effects of Substituted Pyrimidines on Growth and Gibberellin Biosynthesis in Gibberella fujikuroi¹

Department of Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, Department of Natural Sciences, Western Oregon State College, Monmouth, Oregon 97361, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024

The fungicide -(2,4-dichlorophenyl)--phenyl-5-pyrimidine methyl alcohol (triarimol) and four other structural analogs of this substance, in which one or more of the substituents were varied, were tested for their comparative effects on growth and gibberellin biosynthesis in the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi. Each of the five analogs tested was capable of inhibiting growth as measured by dry weight in 5-day-old cultures. Three of them [-(2-chlorophenyl)--(4-chlorophenyl)-5-pyrimidine methyl alcohol, fenarimol; -(2-chlorophenyl)--(4-fluorophenyl)-5-pyrimidine methyl alcohol, nuarimol; and triarimol] were effective at appreciably lower concentrations than the other two [-(4-chlorophenyl)--(1-methylethyl)-5-pyrimidine methyl alcohol, experimental compound EL 509; and -cyclopropyl--(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidine methyl alcohol, ancymidol].

All five substances also inhibited gibberellin production as measured by gibberellin content of fungus filtrates. The relative effectiveness of the compounds as inhibitors of growth and gibberellin production were similar. These analogs were also shown to inhibit ent-kaurene oxidation by microsomal preparations from fungal mycelia. Thus, the site of inhibition of gibberellin biosynthesis may be the same for the fungus as the one affected by this group of substances in higher plant tissues.

The structure-activity relationships between the analogs are opposite to those observed in higher plant tissues. The fungicides fenarimol, nuarimol, and triarimol, which were most effective in inhibiting growth and gibberellin biosynthesis in the fungus, were much less effective than EL 509 and ancymidol in inhibiting growth and gibberellin biosynthesis in higher plants. These results indicate that the ent-kaurene oxidase systems from the two sources have somewhat different molecular characteristics, and thus, interact differently with this group of substances.

¹ Supported by Grant PCM 76-19279 from the National Science Foundation and by Grant GM 07065 from the National Institutes of Health.