Napropamide [2-(α-naphthoxy)-N,N-diethylpropionamide]-binding in excised root segments of corn (Zea mays L. ‘NC + 59′) was confined to cell wall fractions (residue and 500 g pellet) remaining after homogenization and to components of the 100 000 g supernatant. Binding increased in both the cell wall and soluble fractions with continued exposure to napropamide. Microautoradiographs revealed that the napropamide bound in the cell walls was located in epidermal, cortical, and stelar tissue. Various proteins were capable of binding napropamide in vitro; however, protease treatment did not liberate the radioactivity bound in the cell wall fragments. Carbohydrate release from the cell wall material with cellulase was not correlated with the solubilization of bound radioactivity and wall carbohydrate monomers did not appear to bind to napropamide in vitro. A portion of the radioactivity found in the soluble components (at 100 000 g) was associated with a molecule of MW > 600. The continued influx of napropamide was due to binding to cell wall components and molecules within the cell.
