Interactions of allelochemicals with plant plasma membrane: a case study with alkaloids from barley

Allelopathy is defined as “any direct or indirect harmful effect by one plant on another through production of chemical compounds that escape into the environment” (Rice, 1974).This phenomenon is seen as a potential tool for weeds management within the framework of sustainable agriculture. While many studies investigated the mode of action of various allelochemicals (molecules emitted by allelopathic plants), little attention was given to their initial contact with the plant plasma membrane. In our work, this key step is explored for two alkaloids, gramine and hordenine, that are allelochemicals produced by barley.