page_title: MCPA
section_title: Bio-degradation
hierarchical_section_title: MCPA / Degradation in soil / Bio-degradation
caption_attribution_description: English: Bio-degradation of MCPA by soil microbes
context_page_description: MCPA is a powerful, selective, widely used phenoxy herbicide. The pure compound is a brown-colored powder. MCPA has been extensively used in agriculture to control broad-leaf weeds as a growth regulator primarily in pasture and cereal crops field since 1945. The mode of action of MCPA appears to be similar to auxins, which are growth hormone that naturally exist in plants. Overdose application of MCPA acts as an herbicide and results abnormal growth.
context_section_description: The MCPA can be degraded biologically in soils by plants and microorganisms. The major metabolite of MCPA degradation are MCP (4-chloro-2-methylphenol). The pathway could be the cleavage of the ether linkage, yielding MCP and acetate acid. Another pathway could be the hydroxylation of methyl group, yielding cloxyfonac (4-Chloro-2-hydroxymethylphenoxyacetic acid). Recent studies demonstrated that biologically degradation of MCPA is enzymatically catalyzed by an α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase encoded by the tfdA gene of soil microorganisms. Soil indigenous bacteria that carry tfdA gene could use MCPA as the sole source of carbon.
caption: Bio-degradation of MCPA in soils
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