Fun with Mutants: Applying Genetic Methods to Problems of Weed Physiology

Abstract

Genetics can be a powerful adjunct to just about any kind of physiological study, including weed physiology or weed/herbicide interactions. Making, mapping, and reverting mutations is simple and straightforward. Making mutants can be as simple as isolating variant individuals from the “wild”, as uncomplicated as doing seed mutagenesis in your laboratory, or as sneaky as recovering mutants as sectors in whole plants. The overall principles for successful development of a protocol for seed mutagenesis of weeds are described and potential problem areas noted. These generalities are illustrated with a specific case history, that of chlorsulfuron. Although chlorsulfuron is accurately described as an inhibitor of the synthesis of branched chain amino acids, careful physiological examination suggests that it kills plant cells, not by starvation for amino acids, but by active toxicity of a metabolite, α-amino butyric acid, produced from a precursor available for diversion in cells with inhibited acetolactate synthase (EC 4.1.3.18, ALS). The story of dominant resistance due to an altered ALS enzyme is well known; analysis using additional mutants fleshes out the story of how chlorsulfuron works. Such analysis has the potential to help unravel other problems in weed physiology.