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Formation of a Glycoside of Maleic Hydrazide in Plants

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Abstract

MALEIC hydrazide is widely used as a growth inhibitor in plants. Its activity as a plant growth regulating substance was described so long ago as 19491 and it is used to arrest sprouting in stored root crops, for the temporary inhibition of growth of lawn grass and hedges and for the prevention of the formation of suckers in tobacco. It is translocatable in plants and is toxic to meristematic tissue causing a loss of apical dominance2. Little seems to be known about the fate of this compound in plants, or the mechanism whereby it exerts its effects. It has been shown to accelerate the destruction of indoleacetic acid in vitro 3 and, in this behaviour, resembles monohydric phenols which are required in the indoleacetic acid oxidase system4. Maleic hydrazide exists as 6-hydroxy-3(2H)-pyridazinone5 and may be expected to exhibit phenolic properties under physiological conditions.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, McGill University, Montreal

    G. H. N. TOWERS & A. HUTCHINSON

  2. Science Service Laboratory, London, Ontario

    W. A. ANDREAE

Authors
  1. G. H. N. TOWERS
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  2. A. HUTCHINSON
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  3. W. A. ANDREAE
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TOWERS, G., HUTCHINSON, A. & ANDREAE, W. Formation of a Glycoside of Maleic Hydrazide in Plants. Nature 181, 1535–1536 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/1811535a0

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