Transcriptome changes in chlorsulfuron-treated plants are caused by acetolactate synthase inhibition and not induction of a herbicide detoxification system in Marchantia polymorpha

We set out to test the hypothesis that there is a sensing system in plants that perceives herbicides resulting in transcriptome changes that lead to the expression of genes encoding proteins that detoxify these molecules. We show that chlorsulfuron-treatment induces changes in the Marchantia polymorpha transcriptome. However, these transcriptome changes do not occur in target site resistant mutants treated with chlorsulfuron. Instead, we show that inactivation of the chlorsulfuron target, acetolactate synthase (ALS) (also known as acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS)), is required for the transcriptome response. Differential expression analysis of RNA-Seq data for 8 day-old gemmalings of Marchantia polymorpha Tak-2 accession and MpalsP197L_7 and MpalsP197L_10 mutant lines