Pretreatment Effects on the Rates of Aldrin Metabolism in Pea Plants (Pisum Sativum)

Abstract

A study has been made of the rate of aldrin metabolism by a number of plant species. In roots of pea seedlings grown in medium containing aldrin, the disappearance of aldrin was greater than the production of dieldrin, including that which could be accounted for by transport to the tops. By contrast, peas without aldrin pretreatment metabolized aldrin mainly to dieldrin by epoxidation.Measurements of enzymic activity with pea root extracts confirmed the inductive effect of aldrin pretreatment on the rate of aldrin metabolism.The aldrin-metabolizing activity showed similar characteristics to mammalian systems in that pretreatment with substances such as phenobarbital and aniline affected activity.Compared with other plant species grown in the presence of aldrin, peas maintained low levels of aldrin and dieldrin, although rates of aldrin uptake were similar, without showing the adverse effects on normal development which occurred in some plant species.