Studies in Plant Metabolism. IV. Comparative Effects of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid and Other Plant Growth Regulators on Phosphorus Metabolism in Bean Plants.

Accumulated evidence has indicated that the physiological effect of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in plants may function through its effect on processes of respiration (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) as well as on photosynthesis (6). Since the precise mechanism by which plant cells respond to 2,4-D has yet to be elucidated, and the participation of phosphorus in biological oxidation-reduction reactions had been found in both higher animals and microorganisms, an investigation was initiated to study the comparative effects of 2,4-D and other plant growth regulators on phosphorus metabolism in order to clarify, in part, the herbicidal effect of 2,4-D. The immediate objectives of the work reported here are as follows: the comparative effects of 2,4-D and other plant growth regulators on (1) the phosphorus uptake, (2) the movement and the distribution of phosphorus, and (3) the incorporation of radioactive phosphorus into some intermediate compounds in bean plants.