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Accepted manuscript

Characterization of ALS Inhibitor Resistance in Alopecurus myosuroides: Primary Role of Trp574Leu and Secondary Contributions of Additional Mutations and Metabolism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2026

Mujeeba Fida
Affiliation:
College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
Rui Cheng
Affiliation:
College of Resource and Environmental, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
Mengjie Wang
Affiliation:
College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
Xiaoshen Song
Affiliation:
College of Resource and Environmental, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
Hui Yao
Affiliation:
College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
Weitang Liu
Affiliation:
College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, Shandong, PR China; liuwt@sdau.edu.cn
Zhiwen Wu*
Affiliation:
College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
Yaling Bi*
Affiliation:
College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China Anhui Engineering Research Center for Smart Crop Planting and Process in Technology, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, Anhui, China
*
*Corresponding authors: Zhiwen Wu, E-mail: zhiwenwu1994@163.com; Yaling Bi, Email: biyl@ahstu.edu.cn
*Corresponding authors: Zhiwen Wu, E-mail: zhiwenwu1994@163.com; Yaling Bi, Email: biyl@ahstu.edu.cn
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Abstract

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Blackgrass is a highly competitive weed in wheat fields and has increasingly evolved resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. Ten field populations were screened, resulting in the selection of one highly resistant population (R-06) and one susceptible population (S-19) for detailed study. Whole-plant bioassays, ALS gene sequencing, molecular docking, metabolic inhibitor assays, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and ALS activity assays, and cross-resistance profiling were conducted to dissect the mechanisms of resistance. ALS sequencing identified three amino acid substitutions in R-06: Pro232Thr (P232T), His363Lys (H363K), and Trp574Leu (W574L). While W574L is a well-characterized ALS resistance-conferring mutation, P232T and H363K are outside major resistance hotspots and may serve secondary or compensatory roles. Molecular docking analyses predicted altered binding of mesosulfuron-methyl in the mutant ALS model, consistent with structural changes in the binding pocket. Metabolic inhibitor assays using malathion, piperonyl butoxide (PBO), and NBD-Cl resulted in modest increases in herbicide sensitivity, with a maximum reduction factor of 2.95 for PBO. GST activity was higher in R-06 at a single sampling time point (3 DAT). In addition, R-06 showed reduced sensitivity to several ALS inhibitors and reduced efficacy against selected herbicides with alternative modes of action. High-level resistance to mesosulfuron-methyl in the R-06 population is primarily associated with the ALS target-site mutation Trp574Leu, while the roles of Pro232Thr, His363Lys, and metabolism appear secondary and remain unresolved. These findings highlight complex resistance patterns in blackgrass and emphasize the need for diversified and integrated weed management strategies.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Weed Science Society of America