An aspartate to glycine change in the carboxyl transferase domain of acetyl CoA carboxylase and non-target-site mechanism(s) confer resistance to ACCase inhibitor herbicides in a Lolium multiflorum population.

BACKGROUND: The increasing use of ACCase-inhibiting herbicides has resulted in evolved resistance in key grass weeds infesting cereal cropping systems worldwide. Here, a thorough and systematic approach is proposed to elucidate the basis of resistance to three ACCase herbicides in a Lolium multiflorum Lam. (Italian rye grass) population from the United Kingdom (UK24).
RESULTS: Resistance to sethoxydim and pinoxaden was always associated with a dominant D2078G (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. equivalent) target-site mutation in UK24. Conversely, whole-plant herbicide assays on predetermined ACCase genotypes showed very high levels of resistance to diclofop-methyl for all three wild DD2078 and mutant DG2078 and GG2078 ACCase genotypes from the mixed resistant population UK24. This indicates the presence of other diclofop-methyl-specific resistance mechanism(s) yet to be determined in this population. The D2078G mutation could be detected using an unambiguous DNA-based dCAPS procedure that proved very transferable to A. myosuroides, Avena fatua L., Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. and Phalaris minor Retz.
CONCLUSION: This study provides further understanding of the molecular basis of resistance to ACCase inhibitor herbicides in a Lolium population and a widely applicable PCR-based method for monitoring the D2078G target-site resistance mutation in five major grass weed species.