Genetic Transformation of Apomictic Grasses: Progress and Constraints

The available methods for plant transformation and expansion beyond its limits remain especially critical for crop improvement. For grass species, this is even more critical, mainly due to drawbacks in in vitro regeneration. Despite the existence of many protocols in grasses to achieve genetic transformation through Agrobacterium or biolistic gene delivery, their efficiencies are genotype-dependent and still very low due to the recalcitrance of these species to in vitro regeneration. Many plant transformation facilities for cereals and other important crops may be found around the world in universities and enterprises, but this is not the case for apomictic species, many of which are C4 grasses. Moreover, apomixis (asexual reproduction by seeds) represents an additional constraint for breeding. However, the transformation of an apomictic clone is an attractive strategy, as the transgene is immediately fixed in a highly adapted genetic background, capable of large-scale clonal propagation. With the exception of some species like Brachiaria brizantha which is planted in approximately 100 M ha in Brazil, apomixis is almost non-present in economically important crops. However, as it is sometimes present in their wild relatives, the main goal is to transfer this trait to crops to fix heterosis. Until now this has been a difficult task, mainly because many aspects of apomixis are unknown. Over the last few years, many candidate genes have been identified and attempts have been made to characterize them functionally in Arabidopsis and rice. However, functional analysis in true apomictic species lags far behind, mainly due to the complexity of its genomes, of the trait itself, and the lack of efficient genetic transformation protocols. In this study, we review the current status of the in vitro culture and genetic transformation methods focusing on apomictic grasses, and the prospects for the application of new tools assayed in other related species, with two aims: to pave the way for discovering the molecular pathways involved in apomixis and to develop new capacities for breeding purposes because many of these grasses are important forage or biofuel resources.Fil: Bellido, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Souza Canadá, Eduado D.. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Agrobiotec; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Agrobiotec; ArgentinaFil: Echenique, Carmen Viviana. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentin

D376E, A205V and A122S substitutions recently found in A. palmeri confer cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides

Background: Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson is a serious problem in soybean crops from Argentina. This weed has evolved high level of resistance to (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides mainly due to a target-site mechanism by an altered ALS enzyme. In an A. palmeri population from Totoras with cross-resistance to (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides, six allelic versions of the ALS enzyme were identified.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate plants from that resistant population carrying the ALS substitutions A122S, D376E or A205V, which had not been characterized before for this species.Methods: Subpopulations with each substitution were produced by a vegetative cloning procedure or by cross-pollination and dose-response assays and herbicide single-dose tests were performed to evaluate in vivo resistance levels to (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides.Results: Dose-response experiments showed that all the resistant subpopulations survived at the highest doses tested (32 X) for imidazolinones, triazolopyrimidines and sulfonylureas, while the susceptible population was completely controlled at considerably lower doses. Furthermore, an analysis of the novel A122S substitution showed that it provides cross-resistance to five classes of (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides, excluding the entire ALS herbicide group as an effective control tool in weed populations carrying this substitution.Conclusions: The results indicated that D376E, A205V and A122S substitutions found for the first time in A. palmeri confer cross-resistance to the most used chemical families from herbicide group 2. Interestingly, it was confirmed that the A205V substitution conferred resistance to herbicides in the triazolopyrimidines family. Data generated should be considered in management strategies for delaying the spread of resistance.Fil: Palmieri, Valeria Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Martinatto, Andrea Karina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Perotti, Valeria Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentin

Development of a modified transformation platform for apomixis candidate genes research in Paspalum notatum (bahiagrass)

Abstract The aim of this work was to improve existing transformation protocols and to transform specific genotypes of Paspalum notatum (bahiagrass) for functional analyses of candidate genes involved in reproduction. Three different explants were assayed for in vitro plant regeneration: mature seeds, mature embryos, and shoot meristems. Plant regeneration was achieved with all explant types, but mature seeds produced the optimal rate (78.0%) and were easiest to manipulate. A method based on serial re-induction of calli from meristems of the regenerated lines was also developed, which could be useful in plant breeding strategies pursuing somaclonal variation. Transient transformation experiments were performed on calli obtained from mature seeds using a compressed helium gene gun. Transient transformation constructs included anthocyanin-synthesis genes cloned under the CAMV 35S promoter and an enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (egfp) driven by the rice actin1 (act1) promoter. Selection curves for ammonium glufosinate were developed in order to determine the optimal selective pressure for stable transformation (1.0 mg/L). Stable co-transformation experiments were carried out with two different constructs containing: (1) the reporter egfp gene cloned under the rice act1 promoter and (2) the selector bar gene driven by the ubiquitin promoter. A total of 27 (64.2%) transgenic plants out of 42 resistant plants analyzed were obtained. The presence of the transgenes in regenerated plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and DNA gel blot analysis. Gene expression was demonstrated by eGFP fluorescence detection and in vivo assays for ammonium glufosinate tolerance. This platform is being used to generate transgenic plants of P. notatum to analyze the function of apomixis-associated candidate genes.Fil: Mancini, Micaela. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Woitovich Valetti, Nadia. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnológico Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Podio, Maricel. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); ArgentinaFil: Siena, Lorena Adelina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnológico Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Ortiz, Juan Pablo Amelio. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); ArgentinaFil: Pessino, Silvina Claudia. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnológico Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Felitti, Silvina Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnológico Rosario; Argentin

Storage-associated genes and reserves accumulation in soybean cultivars differing in physiological strategies for attaining high seed protein concentration

High seed protein concentration (HP) in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is attained by increases in protein content in large seed genotypes (HP large seed) or by reductions in oil and carbohydrates contents in small seed genotypes (HP small seed). We hypothesized that these alternative strategies impact seed development, component accumulation, and gene expression differently. We compared a standard protein commercial genotype with two HP genotypes having contrasting seed size. The HP large seed genotype exhibited the fastest rate and longest period of seed growth and reserves accumulation compared with the HP small genotype. Seed development of these contrasting genotypes was normalized using a moisture depletion framework. Expression levels of some of the genes involved in protein and oil synthesis were lower in the HP small seed genotype compared with the other genotypes. No difference in gene expression was observed between the commercial and the HP large seed genotypes, suggesting a role for assimilate supply controlling high protein concentration based on this strategy. Our results indicate that seed development and gene expression are not necessarily associated with high seed protein concentration per se; a better understanding of seed composition requires acknowledging the contrasting strategies, in terms of seed size, to attain high seed protein concentration.Fil: Poeta, Florencia Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Ochogavía, Ana Claudia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Rotundo, José Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentin

Molecular Mechanisms Endowing Cross-resistance to ALS-Inhibiting Herbicides in Amaranthus hybridus from Argentina

Amaranthus hybridus L. is one of the most problematic weeds in summer crops in Argentina. However, 20 years after the detection of the first case of resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in this country, no extensive reports of the molecular mechanisms endowing resistance were published. In this work, we sequenced the acetolactate synthase gene of resistant plants belonging to five different populations of A. hybridus from Santa Fe and Cordoba provinces. We found that every population presented at least one of the previously documented substitutions W574L and D376E in ALS amino acid sequence. These results explain the cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides and should alert about the usage of herbicides with a different site of action after an ineffective control of this species. This is the first report of these target-site mechanisms endowing resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in A. hybridus populations from Argentina.Fil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Lorenzetti, Florencia. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tuesca, Daniel Horacio. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Perotti, Valeria Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentin

Fungal pretreatments improve the efficiency of saccharification of Panicum prionitis Ness biomass

Second-generation bioethanol derived from native perennial grasses offers a promising alternative for biofuel, especially when the biomass avoids land-use competition for crop production. Panicum prionitis Ness is a native perennial C4 grass predominant in soils of the Delta del Paraná River, Argentina. Its forage quality (palatability and digestibility) for livestock is low because of its substantial lignin content. In this work, we evaluated different pretreatments (phosphoric acid, ligninolytic enzymes and fungal secretomes) aimed to degrade lignin and improve cellulose hydrolysis efficiency. Results show that 2-day pretreatments with fungal secretomes highly improve release of fermentable sugars compared with conventional pretreatments. Although Pycnoporus sanguineus displayed a greater contribution than Ganoderma applanatum to the pretreatment, the latter triggered the highest final yield, achieving a hydrolysis of 47.5% of cellulose when added to green tissue. These results strengthen the feasibility of using Panicum prionitis biomass in a low-polluting bioethanol production process.Fil: Gauna, Albertina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Perotti, Valeria Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos; ArgentinaFil: Feldman, Susana Raquel. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos; Argentin

Herbicide resistant weeds: A call to integrate conventional agricultural practices, molecular biology knowledge and new technologies

Herbicide resistant (HR) weeds are of major concern in modern agriculture. This situation is exacerbated by the massive adoption of herbicide-based technologies along with the overuse of a few active ingredients to control weeds over vast areas year after year. Also, many other anthropological, biological, and environmental factors have defined a higher rate of herbicide resistance evolution in numerous weed species around the world. This review focuses on two central points: 1) how these factors have affected the resistance evolution process; and 2) which cultural practices and new approaches would help to achieve an effective integrated weed management. We claim that global climate change is an unnoticed factor that may be acting on the selection of HR weeds, especially those evolving into non-target-site resistance mechanisms. And we present several new tools –such as Gene Drive and RNAi technologies- that may be adopted to cope with herbicide resistance spread, as well as discuss their potential application at field level. This is the first review that integrates agronomic and molecular knowledge of herbicide resistance. It covers not only the genetic basis of the most relevant resistance mechanisms but also the strengths and weaknesses of traditional and forthcoming agricultural practices.Fil: Perotti, Valeria Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Palmieri, Valeria Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Martinatto, Andrea Karina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentin

Evaluation of biological pretreatments to increase the efficiency of the saccharification process using Spartina argentinensis as a biomass resource

Second generation bioethanol obtained from native perennial grasses offers a promising alternative for biofuel production, avoiding land use competition for crops production. Spartina argentinensis is a native perennial C4 grass with high photosynthetic rates, well adapted to halo-hydromorphic soils, though its forage quality (palatability and digestibility) for livestock is quite low due to its high lignin content. Hence, cattle raisers burn these grasslands frequently in order to stimulate the emergence of new leaves with higher digestibility for cattle feeding. Lignin is the main barrier to overcome in order to efficiently hydrolyze the cellulose for bioethanol production. In this work, we evaluate different pretreatments (phosphoric acid, ligninolytic enzymes and fungal supernatants) aimed to remove lignin and improving cellulose hydrolysis efficiency. Results show that pretreatment with Pycnoporus sanguineus supernatant improves fermentable carbohydrates availability, compared with a conventional chemical pretreatment, and that 56.84% of cellulose can be hydrolyzed using this pretreatment.Fil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Jozami, Emiliano. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Vicario, Lionel. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; ArgentinaFil: Feldman, Susana Raquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Podesta, Florencio Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Target-site resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides in Amaranthus palmeri from Argentina

BACKGROUND: Herbicide-resistant weeds are a serious problem worldwide. Recently, two populations of Amaranthus palmeri with suspected cross-resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides (R1 and R2) were found by farmers in two locations in Argentina (Vicuña Mackenna and Totoras, respectively). We conducted studies to confirm and elucidate the mechanism of resistance. RESULTS: We performed in vivo dose–response assays, and confirmed that both populations had strong resistance to chlorimuron-ethyl, diclosulam and imazethapyr when compared with a susceptible population (S). In vitro ALS activity inhibition tests only indicated considerable resistance to imazethapyr and chlorimuron-ethyl, indicating that other non-target mechanisms could be involved in diclosulam resistance. Subsequently, molecular analysis of als nucleotide sequences revealed three single base-pair mutations producing substitutions in amino acids previously associated with resistance to ALS inhibitors, A122, W574, and S653. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of als resistance alleles in A. palmeri in Argentina. The data support the involvement of a target-site mechanism of resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.Fil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Palmieri, Valeria Esther. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Perotti, Valeria Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lieber, Lucas. Bioheuris; ArgentinaFil: Tuesca, Daniel Horacio. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentin

A novel triple amino acid substitution in the EPSPS found in a high‐level glyphosate‐resistant Amaranthus hybridus

Background: The evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is one of the most important concerns of global agriculture. Amaranthus hybridus L. is a competitive weed for summer crops in South America. In this article, we intend to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which an A. hybridus population from Argentina has become resistant to extraordinarily high levels of glyphosate. Results: The glyphosate-resistant population (A) exhibited particularly high parameters of resistance (GR 50 = 20 900 g ai ha −1 , Rf = 314), with all plants completing a normal life cycle even after 32X dose application. No shikimic acid accumulation was detected in the resistant plants at any of the glyphosate concentrations tested. Molecular and genetic analyses revealed a novel triple substitution (TAP-IVS: T102I, A103V, and P106S) in the 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme of population A and an incipient increase on the epsps relative copy number but without effects on the epsps transcription levels. The novel mechanism was prevalent, with 48% and 52% of the individuals being homozygous and heterozygous for the triple substitution, respectively. In silico conformational studies revealed that TAP-IVS triple substitution would generate an EPSPS with a functional active site but with an increased restriction to glyphosate binding. Conclusion: The prevalence of the TAP-IVS triple substitution as the sole mechanism detected in the highly glyphosate resistant population suggests the evolution of a new glyphosate resistance mechanism arising in A. hybridus. This is the first report of a naturally occurring EPSPS triple substitution and the first glyphosate target-site resistance mechanism described in A. hybridus.Fil: Perotti, Valeria Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Larran, Alvaro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Palmieri, Valeria Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Martinatto, Andrea Karina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Clarisa Ester. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos; ArgentinaFil: Tuesca, Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Permingeat, Hugo Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentin