Inhibition of glycollate oxidase as a rational way of designing a herbicide

Inhibitors of glycollate oxidase (E.C. 1.1.3.1.) might be useful herbicides. An attempt was therefore made to improve on the known aldehyde bisulphite addition compounds as inhibitors. Unfortunately, it appears that, with the exception of the formaldehyde bisulphite addition compound, all these structures inhibit by reacting with enzymatically produced glyoxylate to give glyoxylate bisulphite. A wide range of other potential inhibitors was then tested on the enzyme. Some aminomethanesulphonates are good inhibitors, but they again are unstable, and probably work by conversion to the formaldehyde bisulphite addition compound. None of the inhibitors show useful activity on a general screen against higher plants and fungi.