Improvement of Glyphosate Resistance through Concurrent Mutations in Three Amino Acids of the sp. 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-Phosphate Synthase.

Glyphosate inhibits the target enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the shikimate pathway. A mutant of EPSPS from sp. was identified using site-directed mutagenesis (SDM). The mutant significantly improved glyphosate resistance. The mutant had mutations in three amino acids: Gly97 to Ala, Thr 98 to Ile and Pro 102 to Ser. These mutation sites in have been studied as significant active sites of glyphosate resistance. However, in our research they were found to jointly contribute to the improvement of glyphosate tolerance. In addition, the level of glyphosate tolerance in transgenic confirmed the potentiality of the mutant in breeding glyphosate-resistant plants.