Biochemical basis for glyphosate‐tolerance in a bacterium and a plant tissue culture

Abstract

The broad spectrum herbicide glyphosate ( N ‐[phosphonomethyl]‐glycine) is an inhibitor of the shikimate pathway enzyme 5‐enolpyruvylshikimic acid‐3‐phosphate (EPSP)‐synthase of both bacterial and higher plant origin. Aerobacter aerogenes , as well as cultured cells of the higher plant Corydalis sempervirens , adapted to growth in the presence of up to 10 mM glyphosate, exhibited a 10–30‐fold increase in their EPSP‐synthase activity, and excreted ( A. aerogenes ) or accumulated ( C. sempervirens ) massive amounts of shikimic acid‐3‐phosphate and/or shikimic acid.