The Mode of Action of Pronamide

Abstract

Pronamide [3,5-dichloro-N-(1,1-dimethyl-2-propynyl)benzamide] inhibited root and shoot growth, but had little effect on the germination of oat (Avena sativaL.) or cucumber (Cucumis sativusL.), and sprouting of quackgrass [Agropyron repens(L.) Beauv.] buds. Root growth was more sensitive than shoot growth. Pronamide decreased the longitudinal growth rate and caused radial enlargement in the elongation region of the roots of oat seedlings within 4 hr. Dry weights of the swollen root tips increased 6% over the controls after 4 hr. Pronamide stopped the growth of established oat plants within 24 hr when added to nutrient culture medium. It caused a slight increase in86Rb uptake by excised oat roots. Pronamide stopped normal mitosis in treated oat roots within 0.5 hr. Examination of treated root tips under a microscope showed numerous cells in arrested metaphase, c-pairs, multinucleate cells, polyploidy and swollen and misshapen nuclei. Incorporation of14C-glucose into oat root cell walls and14C-leucine into protein were increased by 26 and 20% respectively, following 4-hr incubations in pronamide. The primary mode of action of pronamide is mitotic poisoning.