Gene Duplication and Aneuploidy Trigger Rapid Evolution of Herbicide Resistance in Common Waterhemp.

An increase in gene copy number is often associated with changes in the number and structure of chromosomes, as has been widely observed in yeast and eukaryotic tumors, yet little is known about stress-induced chromosomal changes in plants. Previously, we reported that the EPSPS (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) gene, the molecular target of glyphosate, was amplified at the native locus and on an extra chromosome in glyphosate-resistant Amaranthus tuberculatus Here, we report that the extra chromosome is a ring chromosome termed extra circular chromosome carrying amplified EPSPS (ECCAE). The ECCAE is heterochromatic, harbors four major EPSPS amplified foci, and is sexually transmitted to 35% of the progeny. Two highly glyphosate resistant (HGR) A. tuberculatus plants with a chromosome constitution of 2n = 32+1 ECCAE displayed soma cell heterogeneity. Some cells had secondary ECCAEs, which displayed size polymorphisms and produced novel chromosomal variants with multiple gene amplification foci. We hypothesize that the ECCAE in the soma cells of HGR A. tuberculatus plants underwent breakage-fusion-bridge cycles to generate the observed soma cell heterogeneity, including de novo EPSPS gene integration into chromosomes. Resistant soma cells with stable EPSPS amplification events as de novo insertions into chromosomes may survive glyphosate selection pressure during the sporophytic phase and are plausibly transmitted to germ cells leading to durable glyphosate resistance in A. tuberculatus This is the first report of early events in aneuploidy-triggered de novo chromosome integration by an as yet unknown mechanism, which may drive rapid adaptive evolution of herbicide resistance in common waterhemp.

Winter annual cover crop has only minor effects on major corn arthropod pests.

We studied the effects of downy brome, Bromus tectorum L., winter cover crop on several corn, Zea mays L., pests in the summer crop after the cover crop. An experiment was conducted that consisted of two trials with two levels of irrigation, two levels of weed control, and two levels of downy brome. Corn was grown three consecutive years after the downy brome grown during the winter. Banks grass mites, Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), twospotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, and predatory mites from the genus Neoseiulus were present in downy brome at the beginning of the growing season. They moved into corn, but their numbers did not differ significantly across the treatments. Larval western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, feeding on corn roots was evaluated the second and third years of corn, production. Irrigation and herbicide treatments had no significant effects on rootworm injury levels. In one trial, rootworm injury ratings were significantly greater in treatments with a history of high versus low brome, but this effect was not significant in the other trial. Rootworm injury seemed to be similar across plots with different surface soil moistures. This suggests that the use of a winter cover crop such as downy brome will not have a major negative impact the arthropods studied.

Field-evolved resistance to four modes of action of herbicides in a single kochia (Kochia scoparia L. Schrad.) population.

BACKGROUND: Evolution of multiple herbicide resistance in weeds is a serious threat to weed management in crop production. Kochia is an economically important broadleaf weed in the U.S. Great Plains. This study aimed to confirm resistance to four sites of action of herbicides in a single kochia (Kochia scoparia L. Schrad.) population from a crop field near Garden City (GC), Kansas, and further determine the underlying mechanisms of resistance. RESULTS: One-fourth of the GC plants survived the labeled rate or higher of atrazine [photosystem II (PSII) inhibitor], and the surviving plants had the Ser-264 to Gly mutation in the psbA gene, the target site of atrazine. Results showed that 90% of GC plants survived the labeled rate of dicamba, a synthetic auxin. At least 87% of the plants survived up to 72 g a.i. ha(-1) of chlorsulfuron [acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor], and analysis of the ALS gene revealed the presence of Pro-197 to Thr and/or Trp-574 to Lue mutation(s). Most GC plants also survived the labeled rate of glyphosate [5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) inhibitor), and the resistant plants had 5-9 EPSPS gene copies (relative to the ALS gene). CONCLUSION: We confirm the first case of evolution of resistance to four herbicide sites of action (PSII, ALS and EPSPS inhibitors and synthetic auxins) in a single kochia population, and target-site-based mechanisms confer resistance to atrazine, glyphosate and chlorsulfuron.