New Phytologist

Volume 202, Issue 2
Full paper
Open Access

A novel 5‐enolpyruvoylshikimate‐3‐phosphate (EPSP) synthase transgene for glyphosate resistance stimulates growth and fecundity in weedy rice (Oryza sativa) without herbicide

Wei Wang

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

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Hui Xia

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

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Xiao Yang

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

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Ting Xu

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

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Hong Jiang Si

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

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Xing Xing Cai

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

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Feng Wang

Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering for Agriculture, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350003 China

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Jun Su

Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering for Agriculture, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350003 China

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Allison A. Snow

Department of Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210‐1293 USA

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Bao‐Rong Lu

Corresponding Author

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433 China

Author for correspondence:

Bao‐Rong Lu

Tel: +86 21 65643668

Email: brlu@fudan.edu.cn

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First published: 01 August 2013
Cited by: 32

Summary

  • Understanding evolutionary interactions among crops and weeds can facilitate effective weed management. For example, gene flow from crops to their wild or weedy relatives can lead to rapid evolution in recipient populations. In rice (Oryza sativa), transgenic herbicide resistance is expected to spread to conspecific weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) via hybridization.
  • Here, we studied fitness effects of transgenic over‐expression of a native 5‐enolpyruvoylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase (epsps) gene developed to confer glyphosate resistance in rice. Controlling for genetic background, we examined physiological traits and field performance of crop–weed hybrid lineages that segregated for the presence or absence of this novel epsps transgene.
  • Surprisingly, we found that transgenic F2 crop–weed hybrids produced 48–125% more seeds per plant than nontransgenic controls in monoculture‐ and mixed‐planting designs without glyphosate application. Transgenic plants also had greater EPSPS protein levels, tryptophan concentrations, photosynthetic rates, and per cent seed germination compared with nontransgenic controls.
  • Our findings suggest that over‐expression of a native rice epsps gene can lead to fitness advantages, even without exposure to glyphosate. We hypothesize that over‐expressed epsps may be useful to breeders and, if deployed, could result in fitness benefits in weedy relatives following transgene introgression.