How does glyphosate affect susceptible plants?
Glyphosate affects a biochemical pathway that is unique to all plants. This biochemical pathway, called the “shikimate pathway,” is an essential component of plant growth and protein production. When the shikimate pathway is impaired, the plant cannot grow or manufacture the necessary proteins that it needs to function. This eventually leads to plant death. How were the first novel soybean plants made glyphosate tolerant? As mentioned above, glyphosate disrupts the shikimate pathway, an essential biochemical pathway in plants. The enzyme 5-enolpyruval shikimate-3-phosphate synthase, EPSPS for short, is an essential component of the shikimate pathway. Glyphosate targets EPSPS, thereby slowing the shikimate pathway and halting protein production and plant growth. The scientists used a procedure called –>site-directed mutagenesis to modify the gene which codes for EPSPS. The resulting modified gene, produces a novel enzyme called “CP4EPSPS” which is not affected by applications of glypho
