Plants having increased tolerance to herbicides

A seed comprising a polynucleotide encoding a mutated cellulose synthase (CESA) polypeptide, wherein the mutated CESA polypeptide comprises one or more of the following motifs:

• Motif 1a:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 78)
• [V/I][A/V]G[V/I/F][S/T][Y/D/N/A]A[V/I/L][N/S/G][S/
• N]G[Y/F/E][Q/D/G/E/H][S/A]WG[P/A]L[F/M/L]G[K/R][L/
• V][F/L]F,
• wherein the amino acid at position 5 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid than S or T;
• wherein the amino acid at position 16 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid;
• and/or
• wherein the amino acid at position 17 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid than P or A;
• ii) Motif 2a:
• [V/L/I]W [S/A] [V/A/I]LL [A/S]S [I/F/V] [F/L][S/T] [L/V] [L/M/V/I]WV [R/K] [IV] [N/D]PF (SEQ ID NO:
• 81),
• wherein the amino acid at position 8 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid;
• and/or
• the amino acid at position 11 is substituted by any other amino acid,
• wherein the mutated CESA polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having, over the full-length, at least about 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 49 or 55, and
• wherein the amino acid sequence of the mutated CESA polypeptide differs from the wildtype amino acid sequence at one or more positions corresponding to positions 1009, 1010, 1052, and 1055 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1.

A plant cell comprising a polynucleotide encoding a mutated cellulose synthase (CESA) polypeptide, wherein the mutated CESA polypeptide comprises one or more of the following motifs:

• i) Motif 1a:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 78)
• [V/I][A/V]G[V/I/F][S/T][Y/D/N/A]A[V/I/L][N/S/G][S/
• N]G[Y/F/E][Q/D/G/E/H][S/A]WG[P/A]L[F/M/L]G[K/R][L/
• V][F/L]F,
• wherein the amino acid at position 5 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid than S or T;
• wherein the amino acid at position 16 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid;
• and/or
• wherein the amino acid at position 17 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid than P or A;
• ii) Motif 2a:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 81)
• [V/L/I]W[S/A][V/A/I]LL[A/S]S[I/F/V][F/L][S/T][L/V]
• [L/M/V/I]WV[R/K][I/V][N/D]PF,
• wherein the amino acid at position 8 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid;
• and/or
• the amino acid at position 11 is substituted by any other amino acid,
• wherein the mutated CESA polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having, over the full-length, at least about 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 49 or 55, and
• wherein the amino acid sequence of the mutated CESA polypeptide differs from the wildtype amino acid sequence at one or more positions corresponding to positions 1009, 1010, 1052, and 1055 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1.

A method for controlling weeds at a locus for growth of a plant, the method comprising:

• (a) applying an herbicide composition comprising CESA-inhibiting herbicides to the locus;
• and (b) planting a seed at the locus, wherein the seed is capable of producing a plant that comprises in at least some of its cells a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter operable in plant cells, the promoter capable of expressing a wildtype or mutated CESA polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide, the expression of the wildtype or mutated CESA polypeptide conferring to the plant tolerance to CESA-inhibiting herbicides, wherein the mutated CESA polypeptide comprises one or more of the following motifs:
• i) Motif 1a:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 78
• [V/I][A/V]G[V/I/F][S/T][Y/D/N/A]A[V/I/L][N/S/G]
• [S/N]G[Y/F/E][Q/D/G/E/H][S/A]WG[P/A]L[[F/M/L]G
• [K/R][L/V][F/L]F,
• wherein the amino acid at position 5 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid than S or T;
• wherein the amino acid at position 16 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid;
• and/or
• wherein the amino acid at position 17 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid than P or A;
• ii) Motif 2a:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 81)
• [V/L/I]W[S/A][V/A/I]LL[A/S]S[I/F/V][F/L][S/T][L/
• V][L/M/V/I]WV[R/K][I/V][N/D]PF,
• wherein the amino acid at position 8 within said motif is substituted by any other amino acid, and/or
• the amino acid at position 11 is substituted by any other amino acid,
• wherein the mutated CESA polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having, over the full-length, at least about 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 49 or 55, and
• wherein the amino acid sequence of the mutated CESA polypeptide differs from the wildtype amino acid sequence at one or more positions corresponding to positions 1009, 1010, 1052, and 1055 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1.