Use of pesticides is known to produce stress in crop plants by interfering with biochemical systems in the plant, including its DNA, leading to poor crop yields, discolored foliage, and underdevelopment of the plant. Evidence of DNA adducts from pesticide exposure has been found for the formation of direct adducts with plant DNA from pesticides or their metabolites, as well as indirect adducts with reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehydes arising from lipid peroxidation induced by oxidative stress. The effects of pesticides on DNA in crop plants have been explored with in vivo and in vitro experiments, focusing on chlorinated aromatic herbicides, such as 2,4-D, dichlobenil, triclopyr, dicamba, simazine, etc., which appear to be viable candidates for DNA adduct formation. Treatment of a variety of crop species provides DNA extracts, which are digested to mononucleosides. The extent of adduct formation is explored by LC-MS/MS. Parallel in vitro reactions of guanosine, a particularly reactive DNA base, are carried out with individual herbicides. Adducts are isolated by reverse phase HPLC and identified with LC-MS/MS and FT-NMR. Understanding the genetic modifications that take place and their mechanisms can be greatly beneficial to agriculture.

DNA adduct formation and detection in crop plants from pesticide exposure

251st National Meeting (2016)

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