Cytochrome P450 CYP81A10v7 in Lolium rigidum confers metabolic resistance to herbicides across at least five modes of action

Rapid and widespread evolution of multiple herbicide resistance in global weed species endowed by increased capacity to metabolize (degrade) herbicides (metabolic resistance) is a great threat to herbicide sustainability and global food production. Metabolic resistance in the economically damaging crop weed species Lolium rigidum is well known but a molecular understanding has been lacking.

We purified a metabolic resistant (R) subset from a field evolved R L. rigidum population. The R, the herbicide susceptible (S) and derived F2 populations were used for candidate herbicide resistance gene discovery by RNA sequencing. A P450 gene CYP81A10v7 was identified with higher expression in R vs. S plants. Transgenic rice overexpressing this Lolium CYP81A10v7 gene became highly resistant to acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase- and acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides (diclofop-methyl, tralkoxydim, chlorsulfuron) and moderately resistant to hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-inhibiting herbicide (mesotrione), photosystem II-inhibiting herbicides (atrazine and chlorotoluron) and the tubulin-inhibiting herbicide trifluralin.

This wide cross-resistance profile to many dissimilar herbicides in CYP81A10v7 transgenic rice generally reflects what is evident in the R L. rigidum. This report clearly showed that a single P450 gene in a cross-pollinated weed species L. rigidum confers resistance to herbicides of at least five modes of action across seven herbicide chemistries.