Methods for producing a transgenic plant that is resistant to a weed control compound including introducing a nucleotide sequence encoding a coproporphyrinogen III oxidase of Escherichia coli into a plant cell, expressing the nucleotide sequence within the plant cell, and regenerating the plant cell into a transgenic plant and transgenic plants produced by such methods. Methods for controlling weeds including applying a weed control compound to an area containing transgenic plants containing a nucleotide sequence encoding a coproporphyrinogen III oxidase of Escherichia coli. Methods for selecting plants or plant cells resistant to a weed control compound including applying a weed control compound to transgenic plants or transgenic plant cells containing a nucleotide sequence encoding a coproporphyrinogen III oxidase of Escherichia coli.