ABSTRACT
Plants and fungi have a number of unique metabolic and developmental characteristics. Key reactions involved in those processes can often be identified by selective and carefully characterized inhibitors. An illustrative example is the involvement of G proteins in phytochrome-directed responses that are abolished in the presence of inhibitors such as cholera toxin that knock out the function of G protein. The main emphasis of this chapter is targeted at the molecular mechanism of antibiotic and synthetic compound interference with cellular components and pathways of plants and fungi. The topics include inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis, ribosome structure, and protein and lipid synthesis. Special attention is given to the interference with membranes, ion channels, cytoskeleton, cell wall, cell division, endoplasmatic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts (Fig. 1). Inhibitors such as herbicides and fungicides are treated in Chapter 7.
