Enzymes as agricultural chemical adjuvants

Abstract: A method of increasing the effect of agricultural chemicals comprising treating a plant with a plant depolymerase enzyme that will degrade plant surface polymers either prior to, or concurrently with administration of the agricultural chemical.

Description: The invention relates to the use of enzymes as agricultural chemical adjuvants. Specifically, the invention relates to a method of increasing the effect of agricultural chemicals with the use of depolymerase enzymes and to compositions of depolymerase enzymes and agricultural chemical(s). Adjuvants are agents added to an agricultural chemical to increase its pharmacological effect. A wide variety of adjuvants for plant use are known representing diverse and complex chemical types and are available for use in facilitating the action of agricultural chemicals. Classified by mode of action, they include oils, surfactants (such as wetting agents, spreaders, penetrants), stabilizing agents, solvents, hygroscopic agents, deposit builders, foams and antifoam agents, buffering agents, activators, etc. These types of actions are not necessarily mutually exclusive. This great diversity of adjuvants is due largely to varying conditions that adjuvants are applied under as well as the variable results which are obtained depending on the particular agricultural chemical used. One disadvantage of many adjuvants, however, is that they are not biodegradable. Typical agricultural chemicals include herbicides, plant growth regulators, plant species specific toxins, fungicides, insecticides, including chemical and microbial pesticides, leaf colonizing microorganisms and fertilizers. Because of the varying types of agricultural chemicals available, there is a continuing need to provide plant adjuvants with broad applicability. It is desirable therefore to provide biodegradable agricultural chemical adjuvants and methods of increasing the pharmacological effect of agricultural chemicals using said plant adjuvants. It is also desirable to provide adjuvants which allow a reduced amount of agricultural chemical to be applied to achieve a pharmacological effect. EP-A-197622 discloses the use of an esterase in combination with a biocide, to degrade the waxy protective covering of the outer skins of plants and insects. In an abstract from JP-A-57075906, an enzyme containing solution is applied to the soil around a plant to enhance the effect of antibiotic agents applied to kill fungi or bacteria present on the roots of the plant. EP-A-184288 discloses the use of enzymes capable of degrading components of a plant as herbicides, fungicides, acaricides or insecticides. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for increasing the pharmacological effect of agricultural chemicals which are normally essentially absorbed by the roots of a plant, which method comprises: (a) selecting an enzyme which is capable of degrading at least a portion of the plant cell polymer of a plant to which an agricultural chemical is said to have pharmacological effect, wherein said enzyme is selected from, pectinase, hemicellulase, cellulase, and mixtures thereof; (b) applying the selected enzyme to the plant leaf or other similar structure either prior to or concomitantly with application of the agricultural chemical to the plant. In a second aspect, of the invention provides a composition or a kit of parts comprising an agricultural chemical and a cell membrane degrading enzyme selected from pectinase, hemicellulase, cellulase, and mixtures thereof. In a third aspect, the invention provides a composition or a kit of parts comprising an agricultural chemical in which is normally essentially absorbed by the root of a plant and a cell membrane degrading enzyme. In plants, the outer layers or membranes are polymeric cell structural components which are associated with waterproofing and protection. The outermost layer is normally the biopolyester cutin in the aerial parts and suberin, a polyer containing polyester domains, in the underground parts and at wound surfaces. Other membrane layers usually consists of the cell wall which contains polymers such as pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, protein, etc. Plant cell polymers then are any polymeric layer which constitutes a major protective barrier between the plant and its environment and also functions as a biological barrier so that diffusion of molecules can be controlled. (See Science Vol. 208, 30 May 1980, pages 990-1000.) It is an advantage of this invention in that the plant depolymerase enzyme selected for use in the invention is biodegradable. Selection of a plant depolymerase enzyme is done in accordance with the particular plant cell polymer to be degraded. So, for example, where the cell polymer is cutin, an appropriate lipase can be included. The depolymerases pectinase, hemicellulase, cellulase, and proteinase may be used alone or in combination with lipase. Cutinases are preferred lipases and available from a variety of sources. See Cutinases from Fungi and Pollen, P.E. Kolattukudy, Pg. 472-504 in Lipases (ed. B. Bergtröm and H. Brockman), Elsevier 1984, incorporated herein by reference, for a discussion of a variety of cutinases useful in the practice of the invention. A preferred lipase is that lipase isolated from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 53552, described in European Patent application 87310120.8 (EP 268,452A) filed concurrently herewith (priority USSN 932959 of 19 November 1986) and entitled "Novel hydrolase and method of production", the lipase having the amino acid sequence given below. However, as disclosed in said copending application, functional derivatives of that hydrolase may be produced, e.g. from mutant strains derived from P.putida ATCC 53552 or by altering the coding sequence where the hydrolase is produced by expression in a recombinant host. Further, one could use selective replacement of amino acids to produce lipases or other depolymerase enzymes which are more selective for the particular cutin or other polymer. Agricultural chemicals for administration to a plant are widely varied, as discussed earlier, in both type and action. The one thing that agricultural chemicals have in common is an increase in action when systemic absorption is increased. The enzyme selected should be in a concentration great enough to degrade at least a portion of the corresponding polymer. This amount will vary from enzyme to enzyme and from plant to plant as well as be affected by conditions such as temperature, humidity, soil, etc. One skilled in the art would be able to select such amounts without undue experimentation, but in general it is preferred that at least about one microgram per Cm² of plant surface area applied would be desirable to achieve an adjuvant effect. The enzyme may be applied either prior to or concomitantly with the desired agricultural chemical. Enzymes may be mixed with an appropriate diluant (e.g. water) to achieve ease of application, for example, by spraying. So for example, between about 1 mg. and 0.01 mg. of enzyme per ml of water may be mixed and applied at about 374 ℓ/ha (40 gallons/acre) either with or without a desired agricultural chemical. Preferred concentrations are between 0.05 mg and 0.5 mg of depolymerase per ml of solvent. It is a further advantage of this invention that agricultural chemicals that normally need to be applied to the roots or to the soil for uptake (e.g. atrazine) can now be applied to the leaf or other similar structure for effect or additional effect. The following examples are representative only and not intended to be limiting. One skilled in the art would be able to select appropriate other depolymerase enzymes other than the lipase shown or those described herein based on the disclosures and upon reading of the representative examples given a specific plant and corresponding agricultural chemical. EXAMPLE 1 UPTAKE OF RADIOLABELED AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS INTO LEAF DISCS EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Leaf discs (1cm diameter) were prepared from 9-13 day old soybean plants, and placed them on a nitrocellulose paper that was presoaked with 100 ug/ml stocptomycin in a petri dish. Radioactive chemicals were dissolved in 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer containing 0.05% Triton X-100. In addition to Triton, (¹⁴C) uracil solution contained 0.4% ethanol, (¹⁴C) atrazine contained 10% ethanol (¹⁴C) indole acetic acid contained 2% ethanol and (¹⁴C) urea contained 0.2% ethanol. 5 ul of the radioactive chemical solution (9/uci/ml) was applied on the leaf disc and incubated for 5-7 hr at room temperature. After the incubation, leaf discs were rinsed 3 times with 0.025% Triton X-100 solution and transferred into separate scintillation vials. Radioactivity taken up by each leaf disc was determined by a scintillation counter after adding 10 ml of Ecolite scintillation fluid into each vial. Ten leaf discs were used for each data point in all experiments. All radioactive chemicals were obtained from Amersham(U.S.A). The specific activities of the chemicals were as follows: indolyl (2-¹⁴C) acetic acid, 319 uci/mg (ethyl-1-¹⁴C) atrazine, 116 uci/mg (methyl ¹⁴C) diuron, 243 uci/mg (¹⁴C) urea, 1 mci/mg (2-¹⁴C) uracil, 474 uci/mg ENZYMES Cutinase enzyme same as before. Macerating enzyme, GC219, is an enzyme mixture sold by Genencor which comprises of cellulase, pectinase and hemicellulase. Inactive protein control for cutinase was a cutinase mutant with an alanine substitution at position 126 for serine. This yields an inactive enzyme. For GC219, an equivalent amount of bovine serum albumin was used as inactive protein control. UPTAKE OF CHEMICALS INTO PLANT LEAVES EXAMPLE : Enhancement of Uracil (¹⁴C) Uptake by Cutinase and Macerating Enzymes (GC219) pH Cutinase ug/ml GC219 mg/ml Radioactivity (cpm) Inactive Protein Control Active Enzyme 7.0 200 - 816 ± 214 4070 ± 1160 7.0 100 - 2180 ± 724 8075 ± 1162 7.0 50 - 1340 ± 696 3470 ± 684 10 200 - 481 ± 124 869 ± 364 10 100 234 ± 37 477 ± 230 7.0 - 15.7 1941 ± 315 5191 ± 1745 CONCLUSIONS : 1. Active cutinase and macerating enzymes enhance uptake of uracil. 2. pH 7.0 is better for uracil uptake than pH 10. PLANT GROWTH REGULATOR EXAMPLE : Enhancement Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) Uptake by Cutinase and Macerating Enzymes pH Cutinase ug/ml GC219 mg/ml Radioactivity (cpm) Inactive Protein Control Active Enzyme 7.0 100 - 1712 ± 339 7091 ± 794 9.0 100 - 3250 ± 513 4157 ± 2050 7.0 50 - 1261 ± 408 5619 ± 2254 7.0 - 7.9 402 ± 197 2052 ± 902 7.0 50 7.9 540 ± 135 9116 ± 2383 CONCLUSIONS 1. IAA uptake is increased by treatment with active cutinase and active macerating enzymes. 2. IAA uptake at pH 7.0 is better than at pH 9.0. 3. Combination of enzymes is better than individual enzymes alone for the uptake of IAA. EXAMPLE 2 FUNGICIDE UPTAKE IN SOYBEAN PLANTS EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The difoliate leaflets of 9-13 day old soybean plants were treated with solutions of cutinase (100 ug/ml), Benomyl (1 mg/ml), and GC219 (12.6 mg/ml) alone and benomyl plus enzymes. The solutions were dissolved in 100 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7 containing 0.05% Triton X-100. In addition to Triton X-100, the Benomyl contained 5% Dimethyl formamide. For each experiment 100 ul of solution was applied in 5 ul droplets to each difoliate leaflet. Duplicate plants were treated in this manner. The treated plants were incubated for two hours under normal greenhouse conditions. Identical solutions as those applied to the plants were also incubated for two hours to assure chemical stability under greenhouse conditions. After the incubation, the treated leaves were cut at the petiole and rinsed with a 0.05% Triton X-100 solution. Both difoliates were then ground with a mortar and pestle with 1.5 ml of a 100 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7 buffer. The extract was centrifuged and the supernatant was sterile filtered through a 0.45 um disc. The supernatant was then added to CMA media containing 2 % agar to yield a final volume of 10 mls. 5 mls was then poured into a single well in a 6 well culture plate. Serial dilutions were made for each solution to achieve 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 dilution of the plant extract in the agar. Once the agar was solidified each well was innoculated with spores of Trichoderma reesei QM6A strain. The plates were incubated at 30°C for 24 hours and the growth of T. reesei was rated. Materials Enzymes : a) Cutinase enzyme same as before. b) GC219 (macerating enzyme blend) is an enzyme mixture sold by Genencor. Fungal Strain T. reesei QM6A - Obtained from ATCC (ATCC 13631) Fungicide Benomyl was purchased from Rod McCullen Media 0.05 mg/ml streptomycin CMA Media: 2% Agar 1.0 gm bacto-peptone per 1 liter DI H₂0 20 gm malt extract 20 gm glucose Rating : - no inhibition ++ = good inhibition + weak inhibition +++ = strong inhibition CONCLUSION : Cutinase and macerating enzymes increased uptake of Benomyl into soybean plants. EXAMPLE 3 HYVAR UPTAKE BY WHOLE PLANTS: EFFECT OF MACERATING ENZYMES (GC 219) EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 13-16 day old Beefsteak Tomato seedlings were treated with solutions of Hyvar and GC219. Solutions of Hyvar and GC219 were made up in DI H₂0 and 1% ethanol and adjusted with 0.1N HCL to a final pH of 4.0. 10ul of solution was applied to each cotyledon and 15 ul to each secondary pentafoliate leaflet. 10 tomato seedlings were used for each test solutions. Observations were made daily after treatment for 4 days. Rating : - = No phytotoxicity + = Some phytotoxicity seen in area of treatment. ++ = Phytotoxicity seen outside area of treatment. Materials Enzyme - GC219 is a mixture of enzymes sold by Genencor. Hyvar XL - formulated herbicide (DUPONT). Hyvar was diluted 1:200 or 1:400 for each experiment. DATA PHYTOTOXICITY RATING Day 1 Day 2 1. No treatment - - 2. Hyvar alone (1:200 dilution) - + 3. Hyvar + 6.28 mg/ml GC219 + ++ Day 2 Day 3 1. Control - - 2. Hyvar (1:400 dilution) - - 3. Hyvar + 6.28 mg/ml GC219 + ++ 4. Hyvar + 12.6 mg/ml GC219 ++ ++ CONCLUSION Macerating enzymes (GC219) enhances uptake of Hyvar into tomato plants.

Claims: A method for increasing the pharmacological effect of agricultural chemicals which are normally essentially absorbed by the roots of a plant, the method comprising: (a) selecting an enzyme which is capable of degrading at least a portion of the plant cell polymer of a plant to which an agricultural chemical is to have pharmacological effect, wherein said enzyme is selected from pectinase, hemicellulase, cellulase, and mixtures thereof; and (b) applying the selected enzyme to the plant leaf or other similar structure either prior to or concomitantly with application of the agricultural chemical to the plant. A method according to claim 1 wherein the enzyme selected is a mixture of cellulase, hemicellulase and pectinase. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the enzyme also includes a lipase. A method according to claim 3 wherein the lipase is a cutinase. A method according to claim 4 wherein the lipase is that produced by Pseudomonas putida ATCC 53552. A method according to any one of the preceding claims which comprises applying the enzyme to the plant leaf directly as part of step (b). A composition or kit of parts comprising an agricultural chemical which is normally essentially absorbed by the roots of a plant, and a cell membrane degrading enzyme selected from pectinase, hemicellulase, cellulase, and mixtures thereof. A composition or kit according to claim 7 wherein the enzyme is a mixture of pectinase, hemicellulase and cellulase. A composition or kit of parts according to claim 8 wherein the enzyme also includes a lipase. A composition or kit of parts according to claim 9 wherein the lipase is a cutinase. A composition or kit of parts according to claim 10 wherein the lipase is that produced by Pseudomonas putida .

Inventors: KOLATTUKUDY PAPPACHAN, POULOSE AYROOKARAM J, KOLATTUKUDY, PAPPACHAN, POULOSE, AYROOKARAM J.
Applicants: GENENCOR INT, GENENCOR INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A01N63
IPC codes: A01N63, A23B7, A01N61