Rice brown spot resistance gene bsr1 also confers resistance to bacterial blight by suppressing sucrose efflux
Brown spot (BS), caused by the fungal pathogen Bipolaris oryzae, is a major disease threatening global rice production. However, the genetic basis of host BS resistance remains unclear. Here, we identified brown spot resistance 1 (bsr1), a quantitative trait locus conferring BS resistance, by map-based cloning. We show that bsr1 encodes a sucrose transporter and that a near-isogenic line carrying…
The discovery of the brown spot resistance 1 (bsr1) gene has revealed a novel resistance mechanism in rice plants. This gene is responsible for conferring resistance to brown spot, a devastating fungal disease, as well as bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. The bsr1 gene encodes a sucrose transporter, which plays a crucial role in suppressing sucrose efflux into the plant's apoplast after pathogen attack.
This mechanism of resistance is not limited to brown spot, as the near-isogenic line carrying bsr1 also demonstrated strain-specific resistance to bacterial blight. These findings highlight the dual role of bsr1 in providing protection against both fungal and bacterial diseases. The identification of this gene offers a promising avenue for developing rice cultivars with enhanced disease-resistance traits, ultimately contributing to global rice production and food security.
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