Prime Editing of <i>TaEPSPS</i> Homeologs Enhances Wheat Resistance to Glyphosate
5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) is the primary target of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate, and several well-characterized amino acid substitutions in EPSPS are known to confer glyphosate resistance. Here, we introduced the P106S substitution into wheat <i>TaEPSPS</i> via prime editing, resulting in resistance to the field-recommended dosage of glyphosate. Either homozygous or heterozygous P106S in a single <i>TaEPSPS</i> homeolog was sufficient to confer resistance, with tolerance levels of 461 g a.e. ha<sup>-1</sup> at 4 °C and 1383-1845 g a.e. ha<sup>-1</sup> at 28 °C. The P106S substitution reduced shikimate accumulation by 60-77% under glyphosate treatment, did not alter the native expression patterns of <i>TaEPSPS</i>, and incurred negligible fitness costs under nonglyphosate conditions. Although P106S-edited lines exhibited growth inhibition and an approximate 10-day growth delay following glyphosate application, no significant yield penalty was observed at maturity. These glyphosate-resistant P106S alleles hold promising potential for integration into breeding programs to enhance weed control strategies.
Authors
- Tianzi Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2634-6694)
- Changsong Zou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6805-3545)
- Yaning Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6094-1748)
- Baolong Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8714-6787)
- Zeyu Qiu
Institutions
- Henan University (CN)
- Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
- Agrobiotechnology Institute (ES)
- National Livestock Breeding Center (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
- Published
- 2025-08-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05769
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.50