title: ALS herbicide resistance mutations in Raphanus raphanistrum: evaluation of pleiotropic effects on vegetative growth and ALS activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gene mutations that endow herbicide resistance may cause pleiotropic effects on plant ecology and physiology. This paper reports on the effect of a number of known and novel target-site resistance mutations of the ALS gene (Ala-122-Tyr, Pro-197-Ser, Asp-376-Glu or Trp-574-Leu) on vegetative growth traits of the weed Raphanus raphanistrum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results from a series of experiments have indicated that none of these ALS resistance mutations imposes negative pleiotropic effects on relative growth rate (RGR), photosynthesis and resource-competitive ability in R. raphanistrum plants. The absence of pleiotropic effects on plant growth occurs in spite of increased (Ala-122-Tyr, Pro-197-Ser, Asp-376-Glu) and decreased (Trp-574-Leu) extractable ALS activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of detrimental pleiotropic effects on plant growth associated with the ALS target-site resistance mutations reported here is a contributing factor in resistance alleles being at relatively high frequencies in ALS-herbicide-unselected R. raphanistrum populations.
authors.affiliation: Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Heping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vila-Aiub
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Powles
mesh_terms: D000095:Acetolactate Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053209:Herbicide Resistance; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D031224:Raphanus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D000095:Acetolactate Synthase