Taxonomic distribution of plant glutathione S-transferases acting on xenobiotics

Soluble and microsomal glutathione S-transferase activities for five model xenobiotics (nitrobenzene derivatives), two pesticidal xenobiotics (atrazin e and fluorodifen), and a natural substrate (cinnamic acid), were determine d in 59 different plant species and four plant cell suspension cultures. Th ese enzyme activities were widely distributed over the plant kingdom with c ertain species showing particularly high activities. Marine macroalgae had a remarkably broad substrate range that included the substrates atrazine an d fluorodifen. It is concluded that the evolutionary 'green liver' concept derived for xenobiotic metabolism in higher plant species is also valid for the constitutive soluble and microsomal glutathione S-transferases of lowe r plant species. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.