Sorghum plants having a mutant polynucleotide encoding the large subunit of mutated acetohydroxyacid synthase protein and increased resistance to herbicides

A transformation vector having a Sorghum polynucleotide which comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID No. 1;
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID No. 2;
• and
• c) a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to one of the nucleotide sequences a) or b),
• wherein the Sorghum polynucleotide is present in a Sorghum plant and provides said Sorghum plant with increased resistance to one or more imidazolinone herbicides as compared to wild-type Sorghum plants, and
• wherein the vector further comprises a selectable gene and at least one promoter operably linked to the nucleotide sequence capable of driving the expression of said nucleotide sequence.

A method for obtaining a herbicide-resistant Sorghum plant or a Sorghum plant with increased herbicide resistance, wherein said method comprises:

• i) transforming a Sorghum plant cell with an expression cassette or vector comprising a Sorghum polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID No. 1;
• b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID No. 2;
• c) a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to one of the nucleotide sequences a) or b),
• wherein the Sorghum polynucleotide is present in a Sorghum plant and provides said Sorghum plant with increased resistance to one or more imidazolinone herbicides as compared to wild-type Sorghum plants, and
• wherein the expression cassette further comprises at least one promoter operably linked to the polynucleotide, and wherein said promoter drives the expression of said Sorghum polynucleotide;
• and
• ii) regenerating the Sorghum plant cell to obtain a herbicide-resistant Sorghum plant.