• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.283-288
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• 1995

This study was carried out to investigate the toxic action of herbicide, paraquat(1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridylium-dichloride), against microorganisms. The toxic effect of paraquat was observed mainly using Escherichia coli(KCTC 1039), as follows; Growth of aerobic microorganisms which comprise 4 strains of bacteria and 2 strains of yeast and 4 strains of mold was inhibited drastically in the presence of 1.0mM paraquat But the growth of anaerobic bacteria was not affected by the chemical. When actively growing cells of E. coli were exposed to the paraquat at the concentration higher than 1.0 mM, they rapidly lost their ability to form colony and clearly formed inhibitory zone by well test More than 50% of the cells were killed by 1.0 mM paraquat treatment, even at immediate addition of paraquat to the medium.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.2 s.69
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• pp.304-310
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of herbicide paraquat (1,1-dimethyl-4,4-bipyridilium dichloride) on the electron transport system of the cell. When actively growing cells of bacteria were exposed to the 1.0 mM paraquat, more than $50\%$ of the cells were killed at 0 hour. But specific activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were not changed at 0 hour of paraquat treatment. Oxido-reductions of NAD (H) by the suspension of bacterial membtane, rat mithochondria and NAD-dependent dehydrogenase were accelerated by paraquat treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.2 s.69
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• pp.311-315
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• 2005

When paraquat was added to the bacterial membrane or mitochondrial suspension, the mixture turned dark blue, but the color was disappeared by aeration. The same phenomenon was seen when electrons were supplied to the paraquat. Blue color appeared from near the cathode, and then spreaded to whole transit system. Coloration was accelerated by addition of alkali, but the color was reduced by addition of acid or oxygen. Paraquat exhibited absorption at ultraviolet region by electron transfer at the concentrations as low as 1.0 mM which did not exert difficulty in showing color reaction. Paraquat caused the increase of the optical density at 340 nm by electron transit, and an aspect of that had a strong resemblance to NADH. The acute toxic action of paraquat seemes to depend on inhibition of energy metabolism cased by paraquat action of electron donor and acceptor.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.20-26
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• 1999

This study was to investigate the potential degradation of a herbicide paraquat by Fenton reagents(ferric ion and hydrogen peroxide) under UV light irradiation(365 nm) in an aqueous solution. When $10{\sim}500$ mg/L of paraquat was reacted with either ferric ion or hydrogen peroxide in the dark or under UV light, no degradation was occurred. However, the simultaneous application of both ferric ion(0.8 mM) and hydrogen peroxide(0.140 M) in paraquat solution(500 mg/L) caused dramatic degradation of paraquat both in the dark (approximately 78%) and under UV light(approximately 90%). The reaction approached an equilibrium state in 10 hours. In the dark, when $0.2{\sim}0.8$ mM ferric ion was added, $20{\sim}70%$ paraquat of $10{\sim}500$ mg/L was degraded, regardless of hydrogen peroxide concentrations($0.035{\sim}0.140$ M), while under UV light, 95% of 10 and 100 mg/L paraquat was degraded regardless of ferric ion and hydrogen peroxide concentrations. At paraquat concentration of 200 and 500 mg/L, paraquat degradation increased with increasing ferric ion concentrations as in the dark. However the increase in hydrogen peroxide concentration did not affect the extent of paraquat degradation. The initial reaction rate constants(k) for paraquat degradation ranged from 0.0004 to 0.0314, and 0.0023 to 0.0367 in the dark and under UV light, respectively. The initial reaction rate constant increased in proportion to the increase in ferric ion concentration in both conditions. The half-lives of paraquat degradation(t1/2) were 20 - 1,980 and 19 - 303 minutes in the dark and under UV light, respectively. This study indicates that Fenton reagents under UV light irradiation are more potent than in the dark in terms of herbicide paraquat degradation in an aqueous solution.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.90-95
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• 1998

Soil residues of paraquat (1,1-dimethyl-4,4-dipyridinium dichloride) were determined in apple, pear, grape, and peach orchards for which 15 sites each were selected randomly from the corresponding large-scale production area throughout the country. Strong adsorption capacity measured using wheat bioassay (paraquat concentration required to reduce 50% root growth of wheat, SAC-WB) was also investigated on the orchard soils and the paraquat residue level was calculated against total SAC-WB values (SAC-WB value + paraquat residue). Average bound residue of paraquat on the 60 sites was 6.9 ppm, while paraquat residue in apple orchard reached 20.2 ppm which was the highest among the orchards and was almost double as compared with those in the other three orchards. Loosely bound residue of paraquat determined on the bound residue high top five soils occurred less than 0.5 ppm detection limit. Average SAC-WB value was 276.1 ppm and there were no any correlations between the SAC-WB value and clay content, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity of the orchard soils. Paraquat residue level of the orchard soils against total SAC-WB recorded 2.43%.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.224-231
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• 1995

Paraquat, the representative bipyridilium herbicide, has high phytotoxic activity through generating toxic oxygen species such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxy radical. The response patterns of plants to paraquat were various. It was assumed that the different response was derived from different antioxidative mechanisms including antioxidative enzymes and antioxidant. Paraquat treatment increased reducing sugar content and malondialdehyde formation at 35 days after treatment in a dose-dependent manner but chlorophyll content decreased. Glutathione content increased by paraquat treatment and tolerant species showed more glutathione content than susceptible species. Superoxide dismutase activity increased with the increase in paraquat concentration and that was higher in tolerant species than susceptible species. Photosynthetic activity(PSII activity) was affected by paraquat, so the susceptible species showed more reduced oxygen evolving capacity than tolerant species. Catalse, NADPH-cytochrome C reductase, and malate dehydrogenase, the enzymes tested in this study, showed that the activities decreased by paraquat treatment. Further studies are necessary to determine whether antioxidative system cause the tolerance to paraquat.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.88-96
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• 2005

Paraquat-resistant biotype of Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. was determined by chlorophyll loss and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and the resistant mechanism was investigated with respect to absorption, translocation, and binding constant. RAPD analysis for paraquat resistant (R) and susceptible (S) biotypes found in a pear orchard revealed that the biotypes possessed remote genetic relationship. Chlorophyll loss, as an indication of paraquat toxicity, of S biotype was 7.8-fold greater than that of R biotype. There were no differences in contents of epicuticular wax and cuticle and amounts of [14C]paraquat penetrating the cuticle between the two biotypes. Little translocation of the herbicide out of the treated leaf was observed in either biotype. Binding constants of paraquat to the cell wall and thylakoid membrane were 7.4-fold and 16.9-fold, respectively, higher in R biotype than in S biotype. The results suggest that the resistance mechanism of C. canadensis biotype is due partly to high binding affinity of paraquat to the cell wall and thylakoid membrane.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.1 s.90
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• pp.21-25
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• 2005

Paraquat, a widely used herbicide, has been suggested as a potential risk factor for Parkinson's disease. Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1), a marker for oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum(ER) stress, is known to catalyze heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide and free iron in response to various stimuli. Here we show that paraquat activates HO-1 expression in a time-and dose-dependent manner in substantia nigra(SN) dopaminergic neuronal cells. Activation of Ho-1 by paraquat was regulated primarily at the level of gene transcription. Deletion analysis of the promoter and the 5' distal enhancers, E1 and E2, of the HO-1 gene revealed that the E2 enhancer is a potent inducer of the paraquat-dependent Ho-1 gene expression in dopamninergic neuronal cells. Mutational analysis of the E2 enhacer further demonstrated that the transcription factor activator protein-1(AP-1) plays an important role in mediating paraquat-induced HO-1 gene transcription. Moreover, using specific inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs), we investigated the role of paraquat and MAPKs for HO-1 gene regulation in dopaminergic cells. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) inhibitor SP600125 significantly suppressed the expression of HO-1 by paraquat. All these results demonstrate that induction of HO-1 by paraquat requies the activation of the AP-1 and JNK pathway.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2000

The resistance of Cornyza bonariensis to herbicide paraquat was investigated by evaluating the activities of three enzymes concerning in scavenging paraquat-generated toxic oxygen species such as superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide in resistant and susceptible biotypes. Conyza bonariensis inhabited in cultivated area was more tolerant to paraquat than that of uncultivated area. This is the first report that a biotype of Cornyza bonariensis has appeared in an area with repeated paraquat treatments of Korea. Superoxide dismutase activity of resistant biotype was 20% higher as 150 than that of susceptible biotype. Ascorbate peroxidase activity of resistant biotype was 44% higher than that of susceptible biotype. Glutathione reductase activity of resistant biotype was 64% higher than that of susceptible biotype. It can be concluded from above results that the resistance of Conyza bonariensis to paraquat depends partially on the toxic oxygen species-scavenging efficiency of protective multienzymatic system which is composed of three enzymes, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1995

These researches have been conducted to obtain the basic information of the effects of paraquat on plant species and to screen the plant species showing specific responses to paraquat. Paraquat resistance related to ecotype and overwintering capacity. Perennial and biennial species showed higher resistance than annual species. In a family, most species showed higher resistance were overwintering species. Lamiaceae, Brassicaceae, and Caryophyllaceae were tolerant to paraquat, whereas Poaceae and Asteraceae were sensitive. Especially Mosla dianthera of Lamiaceae, Hemistepta lyrata and Aster pilosus of Asteraceae, and Paspalum thunbergii of Poaceae showed higher tolerance than others. The response patterns of plant species on germination stage were different to those on vegetative stage. Germination of Amarathus lividus, Arabis glabra, and Bidens frondosa was not inhibited by paraquat. But their seedling growth were highly inhibited.