The biochemical basis of resistance to the acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase
(ACCase)-inhibiting herbicide diclofop-methyl was investigated in a
resistant wild oat population (R1), which does not exhibit a resistant
ACCase. Rates of foliar uptake and translocation of
[14C]-diclofop were the same in the R1 vs. susceptible (S)
populations. However, the level of phytotoxic diclofop acid was always found
to be lower in the R1 vs. S plants, with a concomitant higher level (up to
1.7-fold) of nontoxic polar diclofop metabolites in R1 relative to the S
plants. These results indicate that a non–target-site-based mechanism of
enhanced rate of diclofop acid metabolism confers resistance in population
R1. Moreover, the high-performance liquid chromotography elution profile of
the major diclofop metabolites in R1 is similar to that of wheat, suggesting
resistance in individuals of population R1 involves a wheat-like
detoxification system mediated by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. In
addition, lower level of tissue diclofop acid was also observed using
nonradioactive ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
analysis in resistant individuals of three other resistant wild oat
populations (R2, R3, and R4) known to posses ACCase gene resistance
mutations. These results establish that either one or at least two
independent resistance mechanisms (target-site ACCase resistance mutations
and non–target-site enhanced rates of herbicide metabolism) can be present
in individual wild oat plants.