Stacked mutations in multi-copy AHAS genes enhance sulfonylurea herbicide resistance in soybean.

Weeds are a major factor that negatively impact crop yields. Developing herbicide-resistant germlines is crucial for efficient weed control. Sulfonylurea- and pyrimidinyl benzoate-based herbicides inhibit the function of acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids in plants. To create soybean plants resistant to these classes of herbicides, we performed base editing of AHAS genes in Glycine max. A guide RNA was designed to target the codon for proline-182 in GmAHAS2, with the prediction that off-target base editing might also occur in the GmAHAS3 and GmAHAS4 genes. We selected six genome-edited soybean lines, each carrying distinct mutations in GmAHAS2, GmAHAS3, or GmAHAS4. These lines were treated with three different AHAS-targeting herbicides to evaluate resistance. The results show that the number of mutated GmAHAS genes and the mutation patterns significantly influence herbicide resistance.