美国的两位科学家已研制成功一种新型除草剂,它能杀死野草,但是对大麦、小麦和燕麦等庄稼却毫无影响。这种除草剂是以发现于植物中的氨基酸为基础的,所以科学家深信它对环境是绝对安全的。 康斯坦丁·吕贝兹和赫伯特·霍彭在《基因工程新闻》中撰文讲述他们探明了植物中叶绿素生物合成的细节,然后研制出一种除草剂,把它喷洒到植物上,使植物的合成通道发生亢进,从而导致植物死亡。 这种除草剂δ是一氨基乙酰丙酸(ALA)加上一种化学激活剂,ALA形成一种叫四吡咯的化合 Two scientists in the United States have succeeded in developing a new herbicide that will kill weeds but has no effect on crops such as barley, wheat and oats. The herbicide is based on the amino acids found in plants, so scientists believe it is absolutely safe for the environment. Konstantin Lübez and Herbert Höppen, writing in the journal Gene Engineering, tell them that they have pinpointed the details of chlorophyll biosynthesis in plants and then developed a herbicide that is sprayed onto plants, Plant hyperplasia of synthetic channels, leading to plant death. This herbicide, δ, is aminolevulinic acid (ALA) plus a chemical activator, and ALA forms a compound called tetrapyrrole