7dSh as New Sustainable Herbicide: Unravelling Physiological Responses and Action Mechanisms

Abstract

Die Dissertation ist gesperrt bis zum 07. November 2026 !

Long-term food security requires efficient agricultural management that leads to an increase in yields. One way of increasing crop yields is by minimizing growth of competing vegetation (mainly weeds). Today, this is predominantly achieved through the usage of herbicides. Glyphosate, currently the most widely known and used herbicide, is becoming increasingly controversial due to possible side effects on humans and the emergence of resistant weeds. Therefore, more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives are needed. A potential sustainable alternative may be the biochemical active compound 7-deoxy-Sedoheptulose (7dSh). The deoxy sugar 7dSh has an herbicidal effect on A. thaliana and other plant species, specifically by inhibiting root growth after seed germination. This was demonstrated by the significant reduction in the meristem and elongation zone of the root following treatment with 7dSh. However, for the development of a more environmentally friendly herbicide, the mode of action of 7dSh needs to be investigated in more detail. Therefore, metabolomic and transcriptomic studies were conducted to uncover the molecular and physiological consequences of 7dSh application in plants. At the beginning of this work, it was postulated that this compound acts as a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3-dehydroquinate synthase (DQHS) acting within the shikimate pathway, which plays a central role in the AAA-biosynthesis. However, enzyme activity as well as protein interaction studies in this work showed, that 7dSh did neither directly interact with, or directly inhibit DHQS.