Departures from Mendelian inheritance of EPSPS gene copies in a herbicide-resistant weed

Abstract Here, we report on inheritance and intra-individual variation in gene copy number associated with the rapid evolution of herbicide resistance in the dioecious, agricultural weed Amaranthus palmeri. Copy number variation for the glyphosate resistance gene EPSPS was quantified using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction within individuals and for parents and offspring of controlled crosses, with copy numbers ranging from 1 to approximately 160. The nonlinear pattern of gene copy numbe