Unusual sugar from cyanobacteria acts as natural herbicide

Credit: Klaus Brilisauer Researchers at the University of Tübingen have discovered a natural substance that could compete with the controversial herbicide glyphosate: a newly discovered sugar molecule synthesized from cyanobacteria that inhibits the growth of various microorganisms and plants but is harmless to humans and animals. The sugar molecule blocks a key enzyme of the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway that occurs only in microorganisms and plants. “In contrast to glyphosate, the newly discovered deoxy sugar is an entirely natural product that is believed to have good degradability and low ecotoxicity,” says Dr. Klaus Brilisauer.

Source: phys.org