Further electrophysiological studies on cellular effect of herbicide, bromoxynil, using characean cells

In the previous paper, I reported that 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile (bromoxynil) depolarizes the plasma membrane by inhibiting the electrogenic proton pump and discussed that the inhibition is caused by cytosol acidification due to influx of protonated bromoxynil and following release of proton (Shimmen in J Plant Res 123:715-722, 2010). However, a possibility of direct inhibition of the proton pump by bromoxynil flowed into the cell could not be excluded. In the present study, the direct effect of bromoxynil on the proton pump was unequivocally excluded.