A norflurazon-resistant mutant has been isolated from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that showed a three-fold factor of resistance over wild type cultures. In comparison to wild type cultures, the mutant showed better retention of chlorophylls and carotenoids when grown in light in the presence of norflurazon. When grown in the dark, chlorophyll losses were similar, while carotenoid losses were lower than in the wild type cultures. Higher levels of phytoene accumulated in the wild type cultures in the presence of norflurazon than in the resistant cultures. The resistant cultures also showed cross tolerance to EMD-IT 5914, a herbicide with a similar mode of action. Norflurazon resistance in this alga appears to arise from alterations in the target enzyme phytoene desaturase.
