Dicots take a CYP from the herbicide detoxification cup

Abstract

Food production is impeded by herbicide resistance in weeds in the same way that human health is affected by antibiotic resistance. The cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes (CYPs) plays a primary role in the metabolic detoxification of herbicides, but identification of the specific family members responsible for evolved resistance is challenging and has mainly been achieved in grass weeds. In a comprehensive study, Rigon et al. (2025) not only demonstrate the involvement of CYP72A1182 in detoxification of the herbicide tembotrione in a major dicot weed, but propose a molecular mechanism for its differential expression in resistant and susceptible plants.