Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, Australia
Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, AgriBio, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, Australia
Herbicides with novel modes of action are urgently needed to safeguard global agricultural industries against the damaging effects of herbicide-resistant weeds. We recently developed the first herbicidal inhibitors of lysine biosynthesis, which provided proof-of-concept for a promising novel herbicide target. In this study, we expanded upon our understanding of the mode of action of herbicidal lysine biosynthesis inhibitors. We previously postulated that these inhibitors may act as proherbicides. Here, we show this is not the case. We report an additional mode of action of these inhibitors, through their inhibition of a second lysine biosynthesis enzyme, and investigate the molecular determinants of inhibition. Furthermore, we extend our herbicidal activity analyses to include a weed species of global significance.
