Evolution of EPSPS double mutation imparting glyphosate resistance in wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla L.)

PLoS One. 2020 Sep 10;15(9):e0238818. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238818. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The evolution of glyphosate resistance (GR) in weeds is an increasing problem. Glyphosate has been used intensively on wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla L.) populations for at least 20 years in GR crops within South America. We investigated the GR mechanisms in a wild poinsettia population from a soybean field in southern Brazil. The GR population required higher glyphosate doses to achieve 50% control (LD50) and 50% dry mass reduction (MR50) compared to a glyphosate susceptible (GS) population. The ratio between the LD50 and MR50 of GR and GS resulted in resistance factors (RF) of 6.9-fold and 6.1-fold, respectively. Shikimate accumulated 6.7 times more in GS than in GR when leaf-discs were incubated with increasing glyphosate concentrations. No differences were found between GR and GS regarding non-target-site mechanisms. Neither population metabolized glyphosate to significant levels following treatment with 850 g ha-1 glyphosate. Similar levels of 14C-glyphosate uptake and translocation were observed between the two populations. No differences in EPSPS expression were found between GS and GR. Two target site mutations were found in all EPSPS alleles of homozygous resistant plants: Thr102Ile + Pro106Thr (TIPT-mutation). Heterozygous individuals harbored both alleles, wild-type and TIPT. Half of GR individuals were heterozygous, suggesting that resistance is still evolving in the population. A genotyping assay was developed based on the Pro106Thr mutation, demonstrating high efficiency to identify homozygous, heterozygous or wild-type EPSPS sequences across different plants. This is the first report of glyphosate-resistant wild-poinsettia harboring an EPSPS double mutation (TIPT) in the same plant.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 3-Phosphoshikimate 1-Carboxyvinyltransferase / genetics*
  • Brazil
  • Crops, Agricultural / growth & development
  • Euphorbia / drug effects
  • Euphorbia / genetics*
  • Glycine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glycine / pharmacology
  • Glycine max / growth & development
  • Glyphosate
  • Herbicide Resistance / genetics*
  • Herbicides / pharmacology
  • Mutation
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Weeds / drug effects
  • Plant Weeds / genetics
  • Shikimic Acid / metabolism
  • Weed Control / methods

Substances

  • Herbicides
  • Plant Proteins
  • Shikimic Acid
  • 3-Phosphoshikimate 1-Carboxyvinyltransferase
  • Glycine

Grants and funding

This research was partially funded by CAPES, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil (funding code 001 - https://www.capes.gov.br/), and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch Project 1016591, COL00785 - https://usda.gov/). No additional external funding was received.