Molecular Pathogens 2024, Vol.15, No.5, 237-245 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 237 Research Insight Open Access Harnessing Genetic Engineering for Durable Resistance Against Xanthomonas oryzae Chengxi Wang, Jiawei Li Modern Agricultural Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: jiawei.li@cuixi.org Molecular Pathogens, 2024, Vol.15, No.5 doi: 10.5376/mp.2024.15.0023 Received: 28 Aug., 2024 Accepted: 10 Oct., 2024 Published: 28 Oct., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Wang and Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wang C.X., and Li J.W., 2024, Harnessing genetic engineering for durable resistance against Xanthomonas oryzae, Molecular Pathogens, 15(5): 237-245 (doi: 10.5376/mp.2024.15.0023) Abstract Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is a significant threat to rice production worldwide. Traditional breeding methods have identified numerous resistance genes, but the emergence of new virulent Xoo strains necessitates innovative approaches for durable resistance. This study explores the potential of genetic engineering to enhance rice resistance against Xoo. We developed a modified Xa10 gene, Xa10 (E5), with an EBE-amended promoter responsive to multiple TAL effectors, resulting in broad-spectrum and durable resistance. Transgenic rice lines containing Xa10 (E5) demonstrated resistance to 27 of 28 Xoo strains from 11 countries. Additionally, the study highlights the role of other resistance genes such as Xa21 and Xa7, which confer multi-isolate resistance and durable field resistance, respectively. The integration of these genes into rice cultivars through genetic engineering offers a promising strategy for sustainable disease management. This research provides valuable genetic materials for molecular breeding aimed at achieving broad-spectrum and durable resistance to bacterial blight in rice. Keywords Rice (Oryza sativaL.); Genetic engineering; Xanthomonas oryzae; Durable resistance; Rice; TAL effectors 1 Introduction Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food crop that feeds more than half of the world's population. However, its production is constantly threatened by various diseases, among which bacterial blight (BB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is particularly devastating. This disease significantly reduces rice yields, especially in highly productive irrigated and rainfed lowland ecosystems, and is spreading rapidly to other rice-growing regions (Jiang et al., 2020; Kumar et al., 2020). The pathogen interferes with the physiological and biochemical processes of the rice plant, leading to severe yield losses. Given the economic importance of rice, extensive genetic and genomic studies have been conducted to understand the molecular mechanisms of rice's response to Xoo. Despite the identification of numerous resistance (R) genes and the development of many resistant rice cultivars, the emergence of new virulent isolates of Xoo poses a significant challenge to existing disease resistance strategies (Angeles-Shim et al., 2020; Kumar et al., 2020). Traditional breeding methods, which often rely on the introgression of single resistance genes, have not been sufficient to provide durable protection against BB (Biswas et al., 2021). The genetic basis of resistance to BB has been studied intensively, with at least 44 genes conferring resistance identified. However, the rapid evolution of the pathogen and the changing climate necessitate the identification of novel broad-spectrum resistance genes and the development of more effective gene-deployment strategies (Xing et al., 2021). The objective of this study is to explore the potential of genetic engineering to enhance durable resistance against bacterial blight in rice. By leveraging advanced genetic and genomic tools, we aim to identify and characterize novel resistance genes from diverse rice species and introgress them into high-yielding rice varieties. This approach includes the use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) and gene pyramiding to combine multiple resistance genes, thereby providing broad-spectrum and durable resistance against Xoo. The ultimate goal is to develop rice varieties that can withstand the evolving pathogen and contribute to sustainable rice production worldwide.
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