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Characterization of the Transient Oxaphosphetane BChE Inhibitor Formed from Spontaneously Activated Ethephon
Published Web Location
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/tx4002429No data is associated with this publication.
Abstract
The major plant growth regulator ethephon degrades to ethylene and phosphate in aqueous solutions and plants and is spontaneously activated to a butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitor in alkaline solutions and animal tissues. In the present 31P NMR kinetic study of the reactions of ethephon in pH 7.4 carbonate buffer, we observed a transient peak at 28.11 ppm. The time course for the appearance and disappearance of this peak matches the activation/degradation kinetic profile of the BChE inhibitor, and the chemical shift supports the proposed 2-oxo-2-hydroxy-1,2-oxaphosphetane structure.