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Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae , is one of the most devastating diseases in rice and can affect rice production worldwide. Rice plasma membrane (PM) proteins are crucial for rapidly and precisely establishing a defense response in plant immunity when rice and blast fungi interact. However, the plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network mediated by PM proteins is poorly understood. In this study, to explore changes in PM proteins during M. oryzae infection, the PM proteome was analyzed via iTRAQ in the resistant rice landrace Heikezijing. A total of 831 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 434 upregulated and 397 downregulated DEPs. In functional analyses, DEPs associated with vesicle trafficking were significantly enriched, including the "transport" term in a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, the endocytosis and phagosome pathways in a Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, and vesicle-associated proteins identified via a protein–protein interaction network analysis. OsNPSN13, a novel plant-specific soluble N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) 13 protein, was identified as an upregulated DEP, and transgenic plants overexpressing this gene showed enhanced blast resistance, while transgenic knockdown plants were more susceptible than wild-type plants. The changes in abundance and putative functions of 20 DEPs revealed a possible vesicle trafficking network in the M. oryzae -rice interaction. A comparative proteomic analysis of plasma membrane proteins in rice leaves revealed a plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network that is provoked by blast fungi; these results provide new insights into rice resistance responses against rice blast fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnaporthe oryzae is the causative agent of rice blast, a devastating disease in rice worldwide. Based on the gene-for-gene paradigm, resistance (R) proteins can recognize their cognate avirulence (AVR) effectors to activate effector-triggered immunity. AVR genes have been demonstrated to evolve rapidly, leading to breakdown of the cognate resistance genes. Therefore, understanding the variation of AVR genes is essential to the deployment of resistant cultivars harboring the cognate R genes. In this study, we analyzed the nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of eight known AVR genes, namely, AVR-Pita1, AVR-Pii, AVR-Pia, AVR-Pik, AVR-Pizt, AVR-Pi9, AVR-Pib , and AVR-Pi54 in a total of 383 isolates from 13 prefectures in the Sichuan Basin. We detected the presence of AVR-Pik, AVR-Pi54, AVR-Pizt, AVR-Pi9 , and AVR-Pib in the isolates of all the prefectures, but not AVR-Pita1, AVR-Pii , and AVR-Pia in at least seven prefectures, indicating loss of the three AVR s. We also detected insertions of Pot3, Mg-SINE, and indels in AVR-Pib , solo-LTR of Inago2 in AVR-Pizt , and gene duplications in AVR-Pik. Consistently, the isolates that did not harboring AVR-Pia were virulent to IRBLa-A, the monogenic line containing Pia , and the isolates with variants of AVR-Pib and AVR-Pizt were virulent to IRBLb-B and IRBLzt-t, the monogenic lines harboring Pib and Piz-t , respectively, indicating breakdown of resistance by the loss and variations of the avirulence genes. Therefore, the use of blast resistance genes should be alarmed by the loss and nature variations of avirulence genes in the blast fungal population in the Sichuan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in global temperatures profoundly affect the occurrence of plant diseases. It is well known that rice blast can easily become epidemic in relatively warm weather. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we show that enhanced blast development at a warm temperature (22°C) compared with the normal growth temperature (28°C) is rice plant-determined. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and signaling genes in rice could be effectively induced by Magnaporthe oryzae at 28°C but not at 22°C. Phenotypic analyses of the osaoc1 and osmyc2 mutants, OsCOI1 RNAi lines, and OsMYC2-OE plants further demonstrated that compromised M. oryzae -induced JA biosynthesis and signaling lead to enhanced blast susceptibility at the warm temperature. Consistent with these results, we found that exogenous application of methyl jasmonate served as an effective strategy for improving blast resistance under the warm environmental conditions. Furthermore, decreased activation of JA signaling resulted in the downregulated expression of some key basal resistance genes at 22°C when compared with 28°C. Among these affected genes, OsCEBiP (chitin elicitor-binding protein precursor) was found to be directly regulated by OsMYB22 and its interacting protein OsMYC2, a key component of JA signaling, and this contributed to temperature-modulated blast resistance. Taken together, these results suggest that warm temperature compromises basal resistance in rice and enhances M. oryzae infection by reducing JA biosynthesis and signaling, providing potential new strategies for managing rice blast disease under warm climate conditions. This study found that the decreased rice blast resistance at warm temperature is caused by lower jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and decreased activation of the JA signaling pathway. Furthermore, the decreased activation of the JA signaling pathway leads to the down-regulation of some important basal resistance genes, such as OsCEBiP , thus increasing the susceptibility of rice plants to Magnaporthe oryzae in the warm environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast disease, which is one of the most devastating and widespread rice diseases. The present study explores the effects of weather factors (temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and bright sunshine hours) on paddy blast severity. During kharif 2019-20 at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, V. C. Farm, Mandya, seven genotypes were studied viz., Jyothi, Jaya, IR 64, PAC 837, PAC 837+, CO 39 and HR 12, all of which showed distinct responses to blast disease. The disease started in the 42nd standard meteorological week of 2019 with a mean severity of 1.29 per cent, gradually increasing to a peak in the 3rd standard meteorological week of 2020 (46.14 %). The HR12 (highly susceptible) genotype showed the highest mean disease severity (64.12 %), whereas the PAC837+ hybrid which is moderately resistant, showed the lowest mean blast severity (3.48 %). The optimal weather conditions for disease development were determined to be maximum temperature (26.75-29.50°C), minimum temperature (16.50-19.25°C), morning relative humidity (80.50 - 94%), evening relative humidity (60.10 - 80.50%) and sunshine (2.50 - 9.50 hours). According to a correlation study between meteorological factors and disease severity, all the variables interacted to play a role in the development of rice blast disease. Further more, the disease development was influenced by the maximum temperature and evening relative humidity. The prediction equations were developed using multiple regression analysis for all seven genotypes, with coeucients of determination (R²) varying from 66 to 79.70 per cent, indicating that 66 to 77.0 per cent of the total variation in the per cent disease index can be explained by the predicted value of disease severity (PDI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kam Sweet Rice (KSR) is a special kind of rice landrace that has been domesticated for thousands of years by the local Dong people in southeast Guizhou province, China. KSR has many distinguishing characteristics including strong fragrance; high resistance to diseases, pests, and adverse abiotic conditions; difficulty of threshing; and glutinous texture. There is a lack of systematic research on its genetic diversity. In this study, we analyzed the levels and patterns of genetic diversity and nucleotide variation in 1,481 rice germplasm using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype analysis of six unlinked nuclear loci. The accessions included 315 KSR resources from southeast Guizhou, 578 rice landraces from six rice-growing ecological zones in Guizhou, 546 rice landraces from nine provinces around Guizhou, and 42 wild rice sources. Genetic diversity and heterozygosity of KSR were both low, and thus KSR might be close to a pure rice line. Population structure analysis showed that KSR was isolated into a single type of rice, which had a large genetic distance and a unique genetic background compared to the local varieties in Guizhou province, indicating that KSR is a special rice ecotype. Haplotype analysis of the target genes showed that the population of KSR was rich in haplotypes for resistance to bacterial blight (Xa23) and rice blast (Pid3), and identified unique haplotypes that were different from those of the six rice ecotypes in Guizhou. This study shows that KSR is an excellent rice germplasm resource, provides important information for the improvement and utilization of rice landraces, and serves as a reference for formulating effective rice conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The present paper aimed to clarify the distribution of rice blast resistance genes Pib, Pi9, Pi2, Pi54 and Pish in Japonica rice varieties (lines) and the resistance levels of different genotype to rice blast. [Method] A total of 93 rice materials were assessed by artificial inoculation and screening of molecular markers tightly linked to 5 major resistance genes. [Result] Three, two and one resistance genes were found in 19 (20. 4%), 25 (26. 9%) and 28 (30. 1%) materials, respectively, and five resistance genes corresponding to markers were found in all varieties (lines). There were 49 (52. 7%), 16 (17. 2%), 8 (8. 6%), 31 (33. 3%) and 31 varieties (lines) (33. 3%) containing rice blast resistance gene Pib, Pi9, Pi2, Pi54 and Pish in 93 varieties (lines), and the genetic frequency of Pib was the highest within this collection. A total of six genotypes and gene combinations (Pi9, Pi54, Pib + Pi9, Pib + Pi2, Pib + Pish and Pi9 + Pi54) are applicable in the rice-breeding, due to the resistance to rice blast but with low distribution in the tested varieties (lines). [Conclution] The study provided a scientific basis for breeding rice cultivars with rice blast-resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnaporthe oryzae is known for its genetic diversity and pathogenic variability, leading to rapid breakdown of resistance in rice. Incorporating multiple broad-spectrum blast resistance genes into rice cultivars would extend disease resistance longevity. Effective resistance breeding in rice therefore requires continual enrichment of the reservoir of resistance genes and alleles. We conducted a large-scale screen of rice blast resistance in about 2 000 rice accessions. Among them, 247 accessions showed at least medium resistance to the natural infection of rice blast and 7 novel Pik alleles were identified from them. Variations in gene sequences were then correlated with the phenotypic trait to enable the identification of favorable alleles. Among the seven novel Pik alleles, the resistant rate of Pik-R0/ME/7017 donors was greater than 80%, and the disease score was less than 3. Through molecular marker-assisted backcross breeding, we successfully transferred the three Pik alleles, Pik-R0/ME/7017 , into an elite cultivated line Kongyu 131 to obtain BC 3 F 2 lines, which showed enhanced resistance to rice blast compared with the recurrent parent. Assessment of these near-isogenic lines in the greenhouse using 31 isolates of M. oryzae from Heilongjiang Province of China revealed that the resistant levels of the BC 3 F 2 lines with Pik-R0/ME/7017 were significantly higher than those of the established cloned resistance genes Pik-m and Pi1. Exploring such alleles will enrich our gene library for resistance to rice blast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice line 1892S is an elite thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) line for two-line hybrid rice production. However, 1892S is susceptible to rice blast, bacterial blight and submergence. Here we reported the introduction of blast resistance (R) gene Pi9, bacterial blight R gene Xa21 and submergence tolerance gene Sub1A into 1892S genetic background through backcrossing and marker-assisted selection. The improved TGMS line 31892S and its hybrids conferred disease resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight, and showed submergence tolerance for over 14 d without significant loss of viability. The sterility- fertility conversion of 31892S was similar to that of 1892S. 31892S and its derived hybrid rice had similar agronomic traits and grain quality with 1892S and the control hybrid rice, respectively. The newly developed 31892S provided an improved TGMS line for two-line hybrid rice production with disease resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight, and submergence tolerance with no yield penalty or change in grain quality.

Rice blast is a major threat to the rice crop in rice-growing areas around the globe. However, synthetic fungicides are injurious for the ecosystem and the existing bio-control agents facing the resistance from the pathogens. In this study, an isolated novel Streptomyces strain (TA-47), from the rice field was identified by culturing on different media, physiological tests, biochemical tests, chemo-taxonomy and molecular biological approaches. In-vitro and in-vivo bio-control activity of the isolated strain was evaluated. Growth on the media, spore production, utilization of sole carbon and nitrogen sources, presence of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) in the cell wall of the strain and fatty acid production were observed.16S rRNA (gene sequence) and a neighbour-joining hood tree indicated that the strain TA-47 is Streptomyces koyanogensis. In-vitro inhibition zone of 29 mm against the M. grisea showed the antagonistic potential of the novel strain TA-47. On the other hand, in the in-vivo studies, strain TA-47, showed the strong bio-control effect, as disease severity decreased to 19.66 ± 1.6%, while in the non-treated sample the disease severity was recorded as 44.66 ± 5.249%. Moreover, after the treatment of the strain, effects on the growth, such as increased height and root length by 72.22 and 16.54 cm, respectively, were also recorded. In conclusion, rhizosphere Streptomyces TA-47, was a novel Streptomyces koyanogensis strain. The study found that the strain had strong bio-control and growth-promoting abilities. Abbreviation: M Grisea, Magnaporthe grisea; ISP, International Streptomyces Project; PDA, Potato Dextrose AgarSEM, Scan Electron Microscope; TLC, Thin Layer Chromatography; GC-MS, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum

Abstract Background As rice (Oryza sativa) is the staple food of more than half the world’s population, rice production contributes greatly to global food security. Rice blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) is a devastating disease that affects rice yields and grain quality, resulting in substantial economic losses annually. Because the fungus evolves rapidly, the resistance conferred by most the single blast-resistance genes is broken after a few years of intensive agricultural use. Therefore, effective resistance breeding in rice requires continual enrichment of the reservoir of resistance genes, alleles, or QTLs. Seed banks represent a rich source of genetic diversity; however, they have not been extensively used to identify novel genes and alleles. Results We carried out a large-scale screen for novel blast-resistance alleles in 1883 rice varieties from major rice-producing areas across China. Of these, 361 varieties showed at least moderate resistance to natural infection by rice blast at rice blast nurseries in Enshi and Yichang, Hubei Province. We used sequence-based allele mining to amplify and sequence the allelic variants of the major rice blast-resistance genes at the Pi2/Pi9 locus of chromosome 6 from the 361 blast-resistant varieties, and the full-length coding region of this gene could be amplified from 107 varieties. Thirteen novel Pi9 alleles (named Pi9-Type1 to Pi9-Type13) were identified in these 107 varieties based on comparison to the Pi9 referenced sequence. Based on the sequencing results, the Pi2/Pi9 locus of the 107 varieties was divided into 15 genotypes (including three different genotypes of Pi9-Type5). Fifteen varieties, each representing one genotype, were evaluated for resistance to 34 M. oryzae isolates. The alleles from seven varieties with the highest resistance and widest resistance spectra were selected for transformation into the susceptible variety J23B to construct near-isogenic lines (NILs). These NILs showed resistance in a field test in Enshi and Yichang, indicating that the seven novel rice blast-resistance tandem-repeat regions at the Pi2/Pi9 locus of chromosome 6 could potentially serve as a genetic resource for molecular breeding of resistance to rice blast. Conclusions The thirteen novel Pi9 alleles identified in this study expand the list of available of blast-resistance alleles. Seven tandem-repeat regions of the Pi2/Pi9 locus from different donors were characterized as broad-spectrum rice blast-resistance fragments; these donors enrich the genetic resources available for rice blast-resistance breeding programs.

Rice blast is caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), which is considered one of the most serious pathogens of rice around the globe. It causes severe losses owing to its proven capability to disrupt the host resistance. Recently, its invasion of new hosts like the Musa species or banana plants has been noticed. To understand the possible level of genetic variation, we sequenced the genomes of eight different isolates of the Magnaporthe species infecting rice, Digitaria (a weed), finger millet, Elusine indica, and banana plants. Comparative genomic analysis of these eight isolates with the previously well-characterized laboratory strain M. oryzae 70-15 was made. The infectivity of the newly isolated strain from Musa species suggested that there is no resistance level in the host plants. The sequence analysis revealed that despite genome similarities, both the banana and Digitaria isolates have relatively larger genome sizes (∼38.2 and 51.1 Mb, respectively) compared to those of the laboratory reference strain M. oryzae 70-15 (∼37 Mb). The gene contraction, expansion, and InDel analysis revealed that during evolution, a higher number of gene insertions and deletions occurred in the blast fungus infecting Digitaria and banana. Furthermore, each genome shared thousands of genes, which suggest their common evolution. Overall, our analysis indicates that higher levels of genes insertion or deletions and gain in the total genome size are important factors in disrupting the host immunity and change in host selection.

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most devastating diseases in rice and can affect rice production worldwide. Rice plasma membrane (PM) proteins are crucial for rapidly and precisely establishing a defense response in plant immunity when rice and blast fungi interact. However, the plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network mediated by PM proteins is poorly understood. In this study, to explore changes in PM proteins during M. oryzae infection, the PM proteome was analyzed via iTRAQ in the resistant rice landrace Heikezijing. A total of 831 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 434 upregulated and 397 downregulated DEPs. In functional analyses, DEPs associated with vesicle trafficking were significantly enriched, including the “transport” term in a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, the endocytosis and phagosome pathways in a Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, and vesicle-associated proteins identified via a protein–protein interaction network analysis. OsNPSN13, a novel plant-specific soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) 13 protein, was identified as an upregulated DEP, and transgenic plants overexpressing this gene showed enhanced blast resistance, while transgenic knockdown plants were more susceptible than wild-type plants. The changes in abundance and putative functions of 20 DEPs revealed a possible vesicle trafficking network in the M. oryzae-rice interaction. A comparative proteomic analysis of plasma membrane proteins in rice leaves revealed a plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network that is provoked by blast fungi; these results provide new insights into rice resistance responses against rice blast fungi.

Magnaporthe oryzae is the causative agent of rice blast, a devastating disease in rice worldwide. Based on the gene-for-gene paradigm, resistance (R) proteins can recognize their cognate avirulence (AVR) effectors to activate effector-triggered immunity. AVR genes have been demonstrated to evolve rapidly, leading to breakdown of the cognate resistance genes. Therefore, understanding the variation of AVR genes is essential to the deployment of resistant cultivars harboring the cognate R genes. In this study, we analyzed the nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of eight known AVR genes, namely, AVR-Pita1, AVR-Pii, AVR-Pia, AVR-Pik, AVR-Pizt, AVR-Pi9, AVR-Pib, and AVR-Pi54 in a total of 383 isolates from 13 prefectures in the Sichuan Basin. We detected the presence of AVR-Pik, AVR-Pi54, AVR-Pizt, AVR-Pi9, and AVR-Pib in the isolates of all the prefectures, but not AVR-Pita1, AVR-Pii, and AVR-Pia in at least seven prefectures, indicating loss of the three AVRs. We also detected insertions of Pot3, Mg-SINE, and indels in AVR-Pib, solo-LTR of Inago2 in AVR-Pizt, and gene duplications in AVR-Pik. Consistently, the isolates that did not harboring AVR-Pia were virulent to IRBLa-A, the monogenic line containing Pia, and the isolates with variants of AVR-Pib and AVR-Pizt were virulent to IRBLb-B and IRBLzt-t, the monogenic lines harboring Pib and Piz-t, respectively, indicating breakdown of resistance by the loss and variations of the avirulence genes. Therefore, the use of blast resistance genes should be alarmed by the loss and nature variations of avirulence genes in the blast fungal population in the Sichuan Basin.

Kam Sweet Rice (KSR) is a special kind of rice landrace that has been domesticated for thousands of years by the local Dong people in southeast Guizhou province, China. KSR has many distinguishing characteristics including strong fragrance; high resistance to diseases, pests, and adverse abiotic conditions; difficulty of threshing; and glutinous texture. There is a lack of systematic research on its genetic diversity. In this study, we analyzed the levels and patterns of genetic diversity and nucleotide variation in 1,481 rice germplasm using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype analysis of six unlinked nuclear loci. The accessions included 315 KSR resources from southeast Guizhou, 578 rice landraces from six rice-growing ecological zones in Guizhou, 546 rice landraces from nine provinces around Guizhou, and 42 wild rice sources. Genetic diversity and heterozygosity of KSR were both low, and thus KSR might be close to a pure rice line. Population structure analysis showed that KSR was isolated into a single type of rice, which had a large genetic distance and a unique genetic background compared to the local varieties in Guizhou province, indicating that KSR is a special rice ecotype. Haplotype analysis of the target genes showed that the population of KSR was rich in haplotypes for resistance to bacterial blight (Xa23) and rice blast (Pid3), and identified unique haplotypes that were different from those of the six rice ecotypes in Guizhou. This study shows that KSR is an excellent rice germplasm resource, provides important information for the improvement and utilization of rice landraces, and serves as a reference for formulating effective rice conservation measures.

The rice blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae , spreads through spores and invades rice through appressoria. Melanin is necessary for an appressorium to penetrate plant cells, but there are many unknown aspects of its role in fungal conidiation. In this study, we confirmed that melanin promotes spore production in M. oryzae , and that this effect is related to the background melanin content of wild-type strains. In the wild-type 70-15 strain with low melanin content of aerial hyphae, increased melanin synthesis promoted sporulation. In contrast, increased melanin synthesis in the wild-type Guy11 strain, which has higher melanin content, did not promote sporulation. The transcription factor Cnf1 (conidial production negative regulatory factor 1), which negatively regulates melanin synthesis, has opposite effects in conidiophore differentiation of Guy11 and 70-15. Deletion of CNF1 did not abolish the defects of Δ cos1 and Δ hox2 (where COS1 /conidiophore stalk-less 1 or HOX2 /homeodomain protein 2 was deleted) in conidiation, while increased the conidiation of Δ gcc1 and Δ gcf3 (where GCC1 /growth, conidiation and cell wall regulatory factor 1, or GCF3 /growth and conidiation regulatory factor 3 was deleted). Pig1 (pigment of Magnaporthe 1) regulates the melanin synthesis of hyphae but not of conidiophores, spores, or appressoria. Deletion of the same gene in different wild-type strains can lead to different phenotypes, partly because of differences in melanin content between fungal strains. Overall, this study reveals the functional diversity and complexity of melanin in different M. oryzae strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast, one of the most destructive epidemic diseases, annually causes severe losses in grain yield worldwide. To manage blast disease, breeding resistant varieties is considered a more economic and environment-friendly strategy than chemical control. For breeding new resistant varieties, natural germplasms with broad-spectrum resistance are valuable resistant donors, but the number is limited. Therefore, artificially induced mutants are an important resource for identifying new broad-spectrum resistant (R) genes/loci. To pursue this approach, we focused on a broad-spectrum blast resistant rice mutant line SA0169, which was previously selected from a sodium azide induced mutation pool of TNG67, an elite japonica variety. We found that SA0169 was completely resistant against the 187 recently collected blast isolates and displayed durable resistance for almost 20 years. Linkage mapping and QTL-seq analysis indicated that a 1.16-Mb region on chromosome 6 (Pi169-6(t)) and a 2.37-Mb region on chromosome 11 (Pi169-11(t)) conferred the blast resistance in SA0169. Sequence analysis and genomic editing study revealed 2 and 7 candidate R genes in Pi169-6(t) and Pi169-11(t), respectively. With the assistance of mapping results, six blast and bacterial blight double resistant lines, which carried Pi169-6(t) and/or Pi169-11(t), were established. The complementation of Pi169-6(t) and Pi169-11(t), like SA0169, showed complete resistance to all tested isolates, suggesting that the combined effects of these two genomic regions largely confer the broad-spectrum resistance of SA0169. The sodium azide induced mutant SA0169 showed broad-spectrum and durable blast resistance. The broad resistance spectrum of SA0169 is contributed by the combined effects of two R regions, Pi169-6(t) and Pi169-11(t). Our study increases the understanding of the genetic basis of the broad-spectrum blast resistance induced by sodium azide mutagenesis, and lays a foundation for breeding new rice varieties with durable resistance against the blast pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives]Rice glycolate oxidase 1(OsGLO1)is a key enzyme in photorespiration, which can regulate the production of plant immune signal molecule hydrogen peroxide(H2O2). The purpose of this study was to analyze the function of OsGLO1 in rice blast resistance and reveal its regulatory mechanism. [Methods]Wild-type(ZH11), OsGLO1 gene overexpression(OsGLO1-OE)and silencing mutant(cas9-glo1)rice lines were challenged with Magnaporthe oryzae strains. Rice leaves were inoculated with the blast strain Guy11 so that varied resistant phenotypes could be characterized. Rice leaf sheath was inoculated with the blast strain GZ1(eGFP-tagged)so that fungal hyphae penetration ability could be examined. Tissues were observed and analyzed through qualitative and quantitative experiments respectively so that H2O2 accumulation position and amount were recorded. The expression of salicylic acid(SA)and jasmonic acid(JA)signaling pathway genes were compared so that involvement of these phytohormones could be assessed. [Results]After Guy11 infection, it was found that OsGLO1-OE exhibited significantly smaller lesions, reduced relative fungal growth, increased ROS accumulation around the appressorium as well as the invasive hyphae, and H2O2 content in the leaves significantly increased more than that in the wild type. In contrast, cas9-glo1 demonstrated significantly larger lesions and higher fungal biomass than that in the wild type. ROS accumulation around the appressorium on the surface of infected cas9-glo1 leaves did not change significantly, but ROS accumulation around the invasive hyphae was reduced, and H2O2 content in the leaves significantly decreased. After 48 h GZ1 infection, OsGLO1-OE leaf sheath exhibited significantly weaker fungal hyphae development compared with that in the wild type rice, while the hyphae development on the cas9-glo1 leaf sheath significantly increased compared with that in the wild type leaf sheath. In addition, overexpression of OsGLO1 significantly induced the expression of SA signaling pathway component genes such as OsPR1a and OsEDS1, while JA signaling pathway components were not affected noticeably. [Conclusions]OsGLO1 positively regulates rice resistance to rice blast through activating the SA signal pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids are polyphenolic secondary metabolites that function as signaling molecules, allopathic compounds, phytoalexins, detoxifying agents and antimicrobial defensive compounds in plants. Blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a serious disease affecting rice cultivation. In this study, we revealed that a natural flavonoid, tangeretin, substantially delays the formation of M. oryzae appressoria and blocks the development of blast lesions on rice plants. Our data suggest that tangeretin has antioxidant activity that interferes with conidial cell death/ferroptosis, which is critical for M. oryzae pathogenicity. Tangeretin showed a ferroptosis inhibition efficacy comparable to the well‐established liproxstatin‐1. Furthermore, overexpression of the NADPH oxidases NOX1 or NOX2 significantly decreased sensitivity toward tangeretin treatment, suggesting Nox‐mediated lipid peroxidation as a possible target for tangeretin in regulating redox signaling and ferroptosis in M. oryzae. Our nursery and field tests showed that application of tangeretin can effectively mitigate overall disease symptoms and prevent leaf blast. Our study reveals the plant‐derived fungal ferroptosis inhibitor tangeretin as a potential and novel antifungal agrochemical for the sustainable prevention of the devastating blast disease in important cereal crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast disease, caused by Pyricularia oryzae Cavara, is considered the most destructive rice disease in Italy. Quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides are widely adopted for rice blast control, and their exclusive use poses a high risk for the development of resistances. Considering the extensive use of QoI fungicides in recent years, the aim of the study was to monitor azoxystrobin sensitivity in Italian P. oryzae populations, collected from different rice relevant areas. Ninety-nine isolates of P. oryzae, collected in 2020 from 32 commercial Italian rice fields, were grown in Petri dishes and tested for resistance through a two-discriminatory dose assay. Resistant isolates were detected in 6 rice samples coming from three Italian provinces (Pavia, Novara, Vercelli). The resistant isolates showed EC50 value > 100 mg/l azoxystrobin and resistance factors greater than 500. The molecular analysis of the cytochrome b gene confirmed the mutation of glycine to alanine at the 143 codon position (G143A) in the resistant strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report of QoI resistance of P. oryzae isolates from rice in Italy and highlight the importance to adopt proper anti-resistance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[ Objective] This paper aimed to overcome the easy breakdown of conventional disease resistant plants. [ Method] A new kind of transgenic rice plant5 was generated based on Host Induced Gene Silencing ( HIGS) technology. [Results] SEC11, a key subunit of signal peptide complex in Magnaporthe oryzae, was selected for generating the HIGS expression vector by gateway technology. HIGS vector was transferred into the Japonica rice cultivar Nipponbare by agrobacterium mediated transformation to obtain transgenic rice plants. The spray assay with conidia of rice blast indicated that the HIGS transgenic rice plants were improved in rice blast resistance. [Conclusion] This study lays the foundation for molecular breading of rice blast resistant varieties with HIGS technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the cause of loss of rice blast resistance, we studied the pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae strains isolated from rice hybrid Wuyou 308 and evaluated its resistance genes. A total of 62 M. oryzae strains were isolated and tested in 7 Chinese rice varieties with varying degrees of resistance to rice blast and 30 blast-resistant monogenic lines. Fourteen physiological races of M. oryzae were identified: 8.55% belonging to the ZA group, 86.67% to the ZB group, and 5.00% to the ZC group. ZB15 was the most abundant race (45.00%). Five resistance genes, Pi-3(1), Pi-z5, Pi-k, Pi-kp(C), and Pi-k(C), conferred good resistance to the 62 strains, with resistance frequencies of 95.56, 91.11, 88.89, 82.22, and 82.22%, respectively. In contrast, Pi-a(2) had a resistance frequency of 0%. The hybrid combination Wuyou 308 was found to carry Pi-ta and Pi-b genes. Because Pi-ta and Pi-b both showed low resistance frequencies to M. oryzae isolated from Jiangxi, the hybrid rice variety Wuyou 308 could be infected by most of the 62 M. oryzae strains. The emergence and spread of rice blast disease in Wuyou 308 may thus be difficult to avoid when climatic conditions are favourable.

Host shifting and host expansion of fungal plant pathogens increases the rate of emergence of new pathogens and the incidence of disease in various crops, which threaten global food security. Magnaporthe species cause serious disease in rice, namely rice blast disease, as well as in many alternative hosts, including wheat, barley, and millet. A severe outbreak of wheat blast due to Magnaporthe oryzae occurred recently in Bangladesh, after the fungus was introduced from South America, causing great loss of yield. This outbreak of wheat blast is of growing concern, because it might spread to adjacent wheat-producing areas. Therefore, it is important to understand the host range and population structure of M. oryzae and related species for determining the evolutionary relationships among Magnaporthe species and for managing blast disease in the field. Here, we collected isolates of M. oryzae and related species from various Poaceae species, including crops and weeds surrounding rice fields, in Korea and determined their phylogenetic relationships and host species specificity. Internal transcribed spacer-mediated phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. oryzae and related species are classified into four groups primarily including isolates from rice, crabgrass, millet and tall fescue. Based on pathogenicity assays, M. oryzae and related species can infect different Poaceae hosts and move among hosts, suggesting the potential for host shifting and host expansion in nature. These results provide important information on the diversification of M. oryzae and related species with a broad range of Poaceae as hosts in crop fields.

Rice blast is one of the most destructive diseases affecting rice production worldwide. The development and rational use of resistant varieties has been the most effective and economical measure to control blast. In this review, we summarized the cloning and utilization of rice blast resistance genes, such as Pi1, Pi2, Pi9, Pi54, Pigm and Piz-t. We concluded that three main problems in the current breeding of rice blast resistance are: availability of few R (resistance) genes that confer resistance to both seedling and panicle blast, the resistance effect of pyramided lines is not the result of a simple accumulation of resistance spectrum, and only a few R genes have been successfully used for molecular breeding. Therefore, novel utilization strategies for rice blast R genes in molecular breeding were proposed, such as accurately understanding the utilization of R genes in main modern rice varieties, creating a core resistant germplasm with excellent comprehensive traits, screening and utilizing broad- spectrum and durable resistance gene combinations. Lastly, the trends and possible development direction of blast resistance improvement were also discussed, including new genes regulating resistance identified via GWAS (genome-wide association study) and improving rice blast resistance using genetic editing.

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most destructive rice diseases worldwide. The aim of this study was to screen bacterial isolates to efficiently prevent the occurrence of rice blast. A total of 232 bacterial isolates were extracted from nonrhizospheric rice soil and were screened for antifungal activity against M. oryzae using a leaf segment assay. Strains S170 and S9 showed significant antagonistic activity against M. oryzae in vitro and in leaf disk assays, and controlled M. oryzae infection under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that strains S170 and S9 could effectively control rice leaf blast and panicle neck blast after five spray treatments in field. This suggested that the bacterial strains S170 and S9 were valuable and promising for the biocontrol of rice disease caused by M. oryzae. Based on 16S rDNA, and gyrA and gyrB gene sequence analyses, S170 and S9 were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and B. pumilus, respectively. The research also demonstrated that B. amyloliquefaciens S170 and B. pumilus S9 could colonize rice plants to prevent pathogenic infection and evidently suppressed plant disease caused by 11 other plant pathogenic fungi. This is the first study to demonstrate that B. amyloliquefaciens and B. pumilus isolated from nonrhizospheric rice soil are capable of recolonizing internal rice stem tissues.

Abstract Background Rice blast is an economically important and mutable disease of rice. Using host resistance gene to breed resistant varieties has been proven to be the most effective and economical method to control rice blast and new resistance genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are then needed. Results In this study, we constructed two advanced backcross population to mapping blast resistance QTLs. CR071 and QingGuAi3 were as the donor parent to establish two BC3F1 and derived BC3F2 backcross population in the Jin23B background. By challenging the two populations with natural infection in 2011 and 2012, 16 and 13 blast resistance QTLs were identified in Jin23B/CR071 and Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, respectively. Among Jin23B/CR071 population, 3 major and 13 minor QTLs have explained the phenotypic variation from 3.50% to 34.08% in 2 years. And, among Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, 2 major and 11 minor QTLs have explained the phenotypic variation from 2.42% to 28.95% in 2 years. Conclusions Sixteen and thirteen blast resistance QTLs were identified in Jin23B/CR071 and Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, respectively. QTL effect analyses suggested that major and minor QTLs interaction is the genetic basis for durable blast resistance in rice variety CR071 and QingGuAi3.

Abstract Background Rice blast is generally considered the most devastating rice disease worldwide. The development of resistant varieties has been proven to be the most economical strategy to control the disease. A cluster of resistant (R) genes on rice chromosome 12 including Pita, Pita2 and Ptr has been studies for decades. However, the relationship between these R genes has not been well established. Results In this study, we compared the resistance spectra controlled by Pita2 and Pita by testing their monogenic lines (MLs) in four hotspots found in the Philippines and Burundi from 2014 to 2018. The reaction patterns were distinct in two countries and that Pita2-mediated field resistance was relatively prevalent. Pathogenicity tests using 328 single-spore isolates in greenhouse further verified that IRBLta2-Re for Pita2 conferred a relatively broader spectrum resistance than those of Pita. Rough and fine mapping of Pita2 were conducted using F2 and F3 populations derived from IRBLta2-Re [CO] and CO 39 consisting of 4344 progeny to delimit Pita2 in a genomic interval flanked by two markers 12 g18530 and 12 g18920 proximal to the centromere of chromosome 12. Alignment of the markers to the genomic sequence of IR64, which harbors Pita2 verified by genetic analysis, approximately delimited the candidate gene(s) within 313-kb genomic fragment. The two Pita2 suppressive mutants that contain mutations within Pita2 were verified and identified. Comparative sequence analysis in these two mutants further identified that each individual allele contains a single nucleotide substitution at a different position resulting in nonsense and missense mutations in the protein product of LOC_Os12g18729. On the contrary, no sequence mutation was detected in other candidate genes, indicating that mutations in LOC_Os12g18729 were responsible for the loss of function of Pita2. Pita2 encodes a novel R protein unique from Pita, which is exactly identical to the previously cloned Ptr. Moreover, based on the resistance gene analysis of rice varieties and mutants containing Pita, it was found that Pita2 rather than Pita was responsible for the specificity to some differential isolates with AvrPita. The diagnosis and survey of Pita2 in IRRI released varieties showed relatively low frequency, implying a high value of its application for breeding resistant varieties against rice blast via marker assisted selection. Conclusion Our study clarified the relationship between Pita, Pita2 and Ptr. Pita2 is identical to Ptr and distinct from Pita in both sequence and chromosomal location although Pita2 and Pita are genetically linked to each other. The loss of function of Pita2 but not Pita eliminate the specificity to some AvrPita containing isolates, however, the mechanism underlying the recognition between Pita2/Pita and AvrPita remains elusive.

The genome of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae contains several types of transposable elements (TEs), and some TEs cause genetic variation that allows M. oryzae to evade host detection. We studied how five abundant TEs in rice pathogens, Pot3, Pot2, MAGGY, Line-like element (MGL) and Mg-SINE, are expressed under diverse conditions related to growth, development, and stress. Expression of Pot3 and Pot2 was activated in germinated conidia and mycelia treated with tricyclazole. Retrotransposon MAGGY was highly expressed in appressoria and tricyclazole-treated mycelia. MAGGY and Pot2 were also activated during the early and late stages of perithecia development. MGL was up-regulated in conidia and during conidial germination but not during appressorium formation. No noticeable expression of Mg-SINE was observed under most conditions. Our results should help investigate if and how condition-specific expressions of some TEs contribute to the biology and evolution of M. oryzae.

Abstract Multiple haplotypes at the same rice blast R-gene locus share extremely high sequence similarity, which makes the gene diagnostic method using molecular markers less effective in differentiation from one another. The composition and distribution pattern of deployed R genes/haplotypes in elite rice varieties has not been extensively analyzed. In this study, we employed PCR amplification and sequencing approach for the diagnosis of R-gene haplotypes in 54 Chinese elite rice varieties. A varied number of functional and nonfunctional haplotypes of 4 target major R-gene loci, i.e., Pi2/9, Pi5, Pik, and Pib, were deduced by referring to the reference sequences of known R genes. Functional haplotypes accounted for relatively low frequencies for the Pi2/9 (15%) and Pik (9%) loci but for relatively high frequencies for the Pi5 (50%) and Pib (54%) loci. Intriguingly, significant frequencies of 33%, 39%, 46% of non-functional haplotypes at the Pi2/9, Pik, and Pib loci, respectively, with traceable original donors were identified, suggesting that they were most likely unintentionally spread by using undesirable donors in various breeding programs. In the case of Pi5 locus, only a single haplotype, i.e., Pi5 was identified. The reactions of 54 rice varieties to the differential isolates were evaluated, which showed a good correlation to the frequency of cognate avirulence (Avr) genes or haplotypes in the differential isolates. Four R genes, i.e., Pi2, Piz-t, Pi50, and Pikm were found to contribute significantly to the resistance of the elite rice varieties. Other two genes, Pi9 and Pikh, which were not utilized in rice varieties, showed promising values in breeding durable resistance due to their high resistance frequencies to the contemporary rice blast population. The sequence-based molecular diagnosis provided a promising approach for the identification and verification of haplotypes in different R-gene loci and effective R genes valuable for breeding durable rice resistance to rice blast.

The rice blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae, spreads through spores and invades rice through appressoria. Melanin is necessary for an appressorium to penetrate plant cells, but there are many unknown aspects of its role in fungal conidiation. In this study, we confirmed that melanin promotes spore production in M. oryzae, and that this effect is related to the background melanin content of wild-type strains. In the wild-type 70-15 strain with low melanin content of aerial hyphae, increased melanin synthesis promoted sporulation. In contrast, increased melanin synthesis in the wild-type Guy11 strain, which has higher melanin content, did not promote sporulation. The transcription factor Cnf1 (conidial production negative regulatory factor 1), which negatively regulates melanin synthesis, has opposite effects in conidiophore differentiation of Guy11 and 70-15. Deletion of CNF1 did not abolish the defects of Δcos1 and Δhox2 (where COS1/conidiophore stalk-less 1 or HOX2/homeodomain protein 2 was deleted) in conidiation, while increased the conidiation of Δgcc1 and Δgcf3 (where GCC1/growth, conidiation and cell wall regulatory factor 1, or GCF3/growth and conidiation regulatory factor 3 was deleted). Pig1 (pigment of Magnaporthe 1) regulates the melanin synthesis of hyphae but not of conidiophores, spores, or appressoria. Deletion of the same gene in different wild-type strains can lead to different phenotypes, partly because of differences in melanin content between fungal strains. Overall, this study reveals the functional diversity and complexity of melanin in different M. oryzae strains.

Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating pathogenic fungi that affects a wide range of cereal plants, especially rice. Rice blast disease causes substantial economic losses around the globe. The M. oryzae genome was first sequenced at the beginning of this century and was recently updated with improved annotation and completeness. In this review, key molecular findings on the fungal development and pathogenicity mechanisms of M. oryzae are summarized, focusing on fully characterized genes based on mutant analysis. These include genes involved in the various biological processes of this pathogen, such as vegetative growth, conidia development, appressoria formation and penetration, and pathogenicity. In addition, our syntheses also highlight gaps in our current understanding of M. oryzae development and virulence. We hope this review will serve to improve a comprehensive understanding of M. oryzae and assist disease control strategy designs in the future.

In the traditional method of the bio-fabrication of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), bacterial strains face metal toxicity and antimicrobial action. In the current study, an alkalescent nucleoside antibiotic was mixed with zinc hexanitrate to fabricate the ZnONPs. An integrated approach of DIAION HP-20 macroporous resin and sephadex LH-20 column chromatography was adopted to separate and purify alkalescent nucleoside AN03 from Streptomyces koyanogensis. Alkalescent nucleoside was confirmed by the Doskochilova solvent system. The bio-fabricated ZnONPs were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The XRD spectrum and the TEM images confirmed the crystallinity and the spherical shape of the ZnONPs with an average size of 22 nm. FTIR analysis showed the presence of functional groups, which confirmed the bio-fabrication of ZnONPs from alkalescent nucleoside ANO3. In-vitro studies showed that 75 μg/mL of ZnONPs had a strong inhibitory zone (28.39 mm) against the Magnaporthe grisea and significantly suppressed the spore germination. SEM and TEM observations respectively revealed that ZnONPs caused breakage in hyphae and could damage the cells of M. grisea. Greenhouse experiments revealed that the foliar spray of ZnONPs could control the rice blast disease by 98%. Results also revealed that ZnONPs had positive effects on the growth of the rice plant. The present study suggested that ZnONPs could be fabricated from microbe-derived nucleoside antibiotics without facing the problems of metal toxicity and antimicrobial action, thus overcoming the problem of pathogen resistance. This could be a potent biocontrol agent in rice blast disease management.

The fulfilment of the European “Farm to Fork” strategy requires a drastic reduction in the use of “at risk” synthetic pesticides; this exposes vulnerable agricultural sectors—among which is the European risiculture—to the lack of efficient means for the management of devastating diseases, thus endangering food security. Therefore, novel scaffolds need to be identified for the synthesis of new and more environmentally friendly fungicides. In the present work, we employed our previously developed 3D model of P. oryzae cytochrome bc1 (cyt bc1) complex to perform a high-throughput virtual screening of two commercially available compound libraries. Three chemotypes were selected, from which a small collection of differently substituted analogues was designed and synthesized. The compounds were tested as inhibitors of the cyt bc1 enzyme function and the mycelium growth of both strobilurin-sensitive (WT) and -resistant (RES) P. oryzae strains. This pipeline has permitted the identification of thirteen compounds active against the RES cyt bc1 and five compounds that inhibited the WT cyt bc1 function while inhibiting the fungal mycelia only minimally. Serendipitously, among the studied compounds we identified a new chemotype that is able to efficiently inhibit the mycelium growth of WT and RES strains by ca. 60%, without inhibiting the cyt bc1 enzymatic function, suggesting a different mechanism of action.

Abstract Background Breeding of rice with panicle resistance to rice blast disease caused by Pyricularia oryzae is a challenge towards sustainable rice production. Methods for accurate estimation of disease severity can support breeding. White head symptoms are a commonly used index of panicle blast in the field. As the development mechanism of this symptom remains unclear, we used cut-flower dye (CFD) solution to visualize the infected panicle tissues. Results CFD delineated the edge of white head symptoms in rice panicles artificially infected with P. oryzae. Hyphae within the tissues were confirmed through staining with a fluorescent wheat germ agglutinin conjugate. Hyphal density was obviously diminished at the dye edge. Growing hyphae preferred to move along the vascular bundles; infected tissues lost the ability to transport water, leading to white head formation. By marking the edge of the white heads, this simple dyeing technique precisely reveals the extent of infection. Further, digital imaging allowed dried samples to be stored and reassessed later. Conclusions The CFD detection technique served as a powerful tool for estimating disease severity by color, as it clearly revealed lesions in both the panicles and leaves. Combined with reliable methods for artificial inoculation and observation of infecting hyphae, this technique will advance the research and breeding of panicle blast-resistant rice.

Rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is the most important disease of rice in both South and North Korea. Cultivation of disease-resistant cultivar is the best way to prevent this notorious disease, but M. oryzae races have been continuously changed to adapt a new cultivar. Therefore, it is important to get the information about the race and avirulence genes of the pathogen for developing blast-resistant rice cultivar. Since the entrance of North Korea was prohibited, the information about the races of M. oryzae in North Korea border areas and South Korea was collected to get the information about the diversity of rice blast pathogen in North Korea. The disease occurrence on monogenic lines carrying single resistant gene was investigated in Jeonju, Suwon, Cheorwon, Goseong, and Baengnyeongdo in Korea, and Dandong in China. The monogenic lines in Jeonju and Suwon showed diverse ranges of the response, while those in Baengnyeongdo and Dandong showed relatively high resistant responses to rice blast. All the field isolates of M. oryzae were characterized for rice blast races by the Korean differential varieties and screened for known avirulence genes to determine the spatial distribution of avirulence genes and the population of M. oryzae.

This study explores the impact of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) alongside conventional treatment by farmers providing positive (Mancozeb 80 % WP) and negative (water) controls on rice plants ( Oryza sativa L.), focusing on antioxidant enzyme activities, phytohormone levels, disease resistance, and yield components under greenhouse and field conditions. In greenhouse assays, SA application significantly enhanced the activities of peroxidase (POX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) within 12-24 h post-inoculation (hpi) with Magnaporthe oryzae . Additionally, SA-treated plants showed higher levels of endogenous SA and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) within 24 hpi compared to the controls. In terms of disease resistance, SA-treated plants exhibited a reduced severity of rice blast under greenhouse conditions, with a significant decrease in disease symptoms compared to negative control treatment. The field study was extended over three consecutive crop seasons during 2021-2023, further examining the efficacy of SA in regular agricultural practice settings. The SA treatment consistently led to a reduction in rice blast disease severity across all three seasons. Yield-related parameters such as plant height, the number of tillers and panicles per hill, grains per panicle, and 1000-grain weight all showed improvements under SA treatment compared to both positive and negative control treatments. Specifically, SA-treated plants yielded higher grain outputs in all three crop seasons, underscoring the potential of SA as a growth enhancer and as a protective agent against rice blast disease under both controlled and field conditions. These findings state the broad-spectrum benefits of SA application in rice cultivation, highlighting its role not only in bolstering plant defense mechanisms and growth under greenhouse conditions but also in enhancing yield and disease resistance in field settings across multiple crop cycles. This research presents valuable insights into the practical applications of SA in improving rice plant resilience and productivity, offering a promising approach for sustainable agriculture practices.

Rice blast is a major problem in agriculture, affecting rice production and threatening food security worldwide. This disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, has led to a lot of research since the discovery of the first resistance gene, pib, in 1999. Researchers have now identified more than 50 resistance genes on eight of the twelve chromosomes in rice, each targeting different strains of the pathogen.These genes are spread out across seventeen different loci. These genes, which primarily code for nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat proteins, play an important part in the defense of rice against the pathogen, either alone or in combination with other genes. An important characteristic of these genes is the allelic or paralogous interactions that exist within these loci. These relationships contribute to the gene's increased capacity for evolutionary adaptation. The ability of resistance proteins to recognize and react to novel effectors is improved by the frequent occurrence of variations within the domains that are responsible for recognizing pathogen effectors. The purpose of this review is to summarize the progress that has been made in identifying these essential genes and to investigate the possibility of utilizing the allelic variants obtained from these genes in future rice breeding efforts to increase resistance to rice blast., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae poses a significant challenge to maintaining rice production. Developing rice varieties with resistance to this disease is crucial for its effective control. To understand the genetic variability of blast isolates collected between 2015 and 2017, the 27 monogenic rice lines that carry specific resistance genes were used to evaluate blast disease reactions. Based on criteria such as viability, virulence, and reactions to resistance genes, 20 blast isolates were selected as representative strains. To identify novel resistance genes, a quantitative trait locus analysis was carried out utilizing a mixture of the 20 representative rice blast isolates and a rice population derived from crossing the blast-resistant cultivar 'Cheongcheong' with the blast-susceptible cultivar 'Nagdong'. This analysis revealed a significant locus, RM1227-RM1261 on chromosome 12, that is associated with rice blast resistance. Within this locus, 12 disease resistance-associated protein genes were identified. Among them, OsDRq12 , a member of the nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat disease resistance family, was chosen as the target gene for additional computational investigation. The findings of this study have significant implications for enhancing rice production and ensuring food security by controlling rice blast and developing resistant rice cultivars., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

To better understand RNA-binding proteins in rice, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on the RRM1 gene family of rice. It encompassed genome-wide identification and exploration of its role in rice blast resistance. The physicochemical properties of the rice OsRRM1 gene family were analyzed. There genes were also analyzed for their conserved domains, motifs, location information, gene structure, phylogenetic trees, collinearity, and cis-acting elements. Furthermore, alterations in the expression patterns of selected OsRRM1 genes were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). A total of 212 members of the OsRRM1 gene family were identified, which were dispersed across 12 chromosomes. These genes all exhibit multiple exons and introns, all of which encompass the conserved RRM1 domain and share analogous motifs. This observation suggests a high degree of conservation within the encoded sequence domain of these genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of five subfamilies within the OsRRM1 gene family. Furthermore, investigation of the promoter region identified cis-regulatory elements that are involved in nucleic acid binding and interaction with multiple transcription factors. By employing GO and KEGG analyses, four RRM1 genes were tentatively identified as crucial contributors to plant immunity, while the RRM1 gene family was also found to have a significant involvement in the complex of alternative splicing. The qRT-PCR results revealed distinct temporal changes in the expression patterns of OsRRM1 genes following rice blast infection. Additionally, gene expression analysis indicates that the majority of OsRRM1 genes exhibited constitutive expressions. These findings enrich our understanding of the OsRRM1 gene family. They also provide a foundation for further research on immune mechanisms rice and the management of rice blast., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Jiang et al.)

Rice blast disease is the most devastating disease constraining crop productivity. Vertical resistance to blast disease is widely studied despite its instability. Clusters of genes or QTLs conferring blast resistance that offer durable horizontal resistance are important in resistance breeding. In this study, we aimed to refine the reported QTLs and identify stable meta-QTLs (MQTLs) associated with rice blast resistance. A total of 435 QTLs were used to project 71 MQTLs across all the rice chromosomes. As many as 199 putative rice blast resistance genes were identified within 53 MQTL regions. The genes included 48 characterized resistance gene analogs and related proteins, such as NBS-LRR type, LRR receptor-like kinase, NB-ARC domain, pathogenesis-related TF/ERF domain, elicitor-induced defense and proteins involved in defense signaling. MQTL regions with clusters of RGA were also identified. Fifteen highly significant MQTLs included 29 candidate genes and genes characterized for blast resistance, such as Piz, Nbs-Pi9, pi55-1, pi55-2, Pi3/Pi5-1, Pi3/Pi5-2, Pikh, Pi54, Pik/Pikm/Pikp, Pb1 and Pb2. Furthermore, the candidate genes (42) were associated with differential expression (in silico) in compatible and incompatible reactions upon disease infection. Moreover, nearly half of the genes within the MQTL regions were orthologous to those in O. sativa indica, Z. mays and A. thaliana, which confirmed their significance. The peak markers within three significant MQTLs differentiated blast-resistant and susceptible lines and serve as potential surrogates for the selection of blast-resistant lines. These MQTLs are potential candidates for durable and broad-spectrum rice blast resistance and could be utilized in blast resistance breeding., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

As a signaling molecule, nitric oxide (NO) regulates the development and stress response in different organisms. The major biological activity of NO is protein S-nitrosylation, whose function in fungi remains largely unclear. Here, it is found in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, de-nitrosylation process is essential for functional appressorium formation during infection. Nitrosative stress caused by excessive accumulation of NO is harmful for fungal infection. While the S-nitrosoglutathione reductase GSNOR-mediated de-nitrosylation removes excess NO toxicity during appressorium formation to promote infection. Through an indoTMT switch labeling proteomics technique, 741 S-nitrosylation sites in 483 proteins are identified. Key appressorial proteins, such as Mgb1, MagB, Sps1, Cdc42, and septins, are activated by GSNOR through de-nitrosylation. Removing S-nitrosylation sites of above proteins is essential for proper protein structure and appressorial function. Therefore, GSNOR-mediated de-nitrosylation is an essential regulator for appressorium formation. It is also shown that breaking NO homeostasis by NO donors, NO scavengers, as well as chemical inhibitor of GSNOR, shall be effective methods for fungal disease control., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

CuO NPs (cupric oxide nanoparticles) are widely used in various fields due to their high electrical conductivity, electronic correlation effect, and special physical property. Notably, CuO NPs have good application prospects in agricultural production because of its antifungal activity to prevent crop diseases. However, the increasing release of CuO NPs into the environment has resulted in a serious threat to the ecosystem, including plants. Previous studies have reported the toxicity of CuO NPs on rice, but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms or specific genes involved in the response to CuO NPs. In this study, we found that the rice well-known receptor Chitin Elicitor Receptor Kinase 1 (OsCERK1), which is essential for basal resistance against pathogens, is involved in CuO NPs stress in rice. Knockout of OsCERK1 gene resulted in enhanced tolerance to CuO NPs stress. Furthermore, it was revealed that OsCERK1 reduces the tolerance to CuO NPs stress by regulating the anti-oxidant system and increasing the accumulation of H2O2 in rice. In addition, CuO NPs treatment significantly enhances the basal resistance against M. oryzae which is mediated by OsCERK1. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a dual role of OsCERK1 in response to CuO NPs stress and M. oryzae infection by modulating ROS accumulation, which expands our understanding about the crosstalk between abiotic and biotic stresses.

F-box protein is a subunit of the SCF (SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, which plays a critical role in regulating different pathways in plant immunity. In this study, we identified the rice (Oryza sativa) F-box protein OsFBX156, which targets the heat shock protein 70 (OsHSP71.1) to regulate resistance to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Overexpression of OsFBX156 or knockout of OsHSP71.1 in rice resulted in the elevation of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and an induction burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after flg22 and chitin treatments, thereby enhancing resistance to M. oryzae. Furthermore, OsFBX156 can promote the degradation of OsHSP71.1 through the 26S proteasome pathway. This study sheds lights on a novel mechanism wherein the F-box protein OsFBX156 targets OsHSP71.1 for degradation to promote ROS production and PR gene expression, thereby positively regulating rice innate immunity., (© 2024 The Authors. Molecular Plant Pathology published by British Society for Plant Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Agriculture & Nature / Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım & Doğa Dergisi is the property of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pyricularia oryzae is the etiological agent of rice blast, the most destructive disease in rice crops and chemical control based on fungicide is the main method used in its management. The aim of this study was characterize pathogenicity and identify P. oryzae isolates adapted to tricyclazole. P. oryzae monosporic isolates were collected in the state of Tocantins and inoculated in international differentiating series of rice cultivars for determination of pathotypes. After, the same isolates were inoculated in the rice cultivar IRGA 424 to evaluate resistance to fungicide Bim® 750 BR (Tricyclazole − 250 g/ha) that was applied 24 and 48 hours after pathogen inoculation (hai). Leaf blast severity and infection efficiency were evaluated 9 days after inoculation (dai), latency period (2 dai) and sporulation intensity (7 dai). Nine different pathotypes were identified, predominantly as IA group. The latent period of isolates occurred between from 48 to 120 h. The application of tricyclazole, 24 hai reduced disease severity with the exception of the isolate Py 7.1. The great variability of the pathogen allowed for adaptation to this molecule and can increase its aggressiveness and should be considered to guide the integrated management of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr is a serious biotic stress causing worldwide yield loss in cultivated rice. As high as 75% to 100% crop damage has been recorded in India. The disease is manifested by the appearance of lesions of various colours, size and spore liberation ability. The pathogen also infects 50 other hosts including weeds and grasses as secondary hosts. Information on genetic diversity, host specificity and phenotypic characters of the pathogens needs to be explored for better management of the disease. Therefore, fourteen M. grisea isolates from rice host and six isolates from weed host Echinochloa colonum were collected from three locations of coastal Odisha. Culture studies revealed that most isolates from virulent lesions had both black colour mycelia and pigmentation (B/B pattern). All the twenty M. grisea isolated produced bigger conidia with size ranged from 21.1–33.0µm to 7.6–12.7µm (length and breadth). Isolates from virulent lesions produced higher number of conidia. Isolates from weed had long and slender type conidia. Molecular genetic studies based on repetitive element Pot2 and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) could separate isolates on the basis of host plant and virulence of source lesion. Isolates from weed were consistently placed in separate group where presence and absence of bands specific to this group were observed. Rep‐PCR based on Pot2 amplified polymorphic DNA fragments where bands at 1750bp were specific to isolates from weed. Similarly, amplification specific to weed isolates was obtained at 1200bp by primer OPB10 in RAPD PCR. Amplification at these base pairs may be used for the development of markers to distinguish M. grisea from rice and weed. This is the first report of utilization of rep‐PCR and RAPD to distinguish M. grisea among rice and Echinochloa colonum in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The purpose of this paper was to clarify the effect of diversity mixed interplanting mode on rice photosynthesis, and provide a favorable basis for the further application of diversity mixed interplanting in the field. [Method] The rice varieties Gangyou 157 (main planted variety) and Huangkenuo (interplanted variety) were selected, and their relative chlorophyll content SPAD values and photosynthesis were measured under the mixed interplanting and mono-planting modes, and the occurrence and damage of rice blast and the agronomic characteristics of rice were investigated. [Result] When Gangyou 157 in the interplanting mode, the SPAD value of the inner row was significantly higher than that of the outer row and mono-planting treatments.There was no significant difference in the SPAD value of Huangkenuo under the two planting modes.The net photosynthetic rate of Gangyou 157 in the interplanting mode was significantly lower than that of the mono-planting treatment (decrease by 14.36%), and there was no significant difference when compared with the outer row. The transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration were significant differences in all treatments. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration of Huangkenuo were not significantly different under the interplanting and mono-planting modes.Gangyou 157 and Huangkenuo had no significant difference in water use efficiency under interplanting and mono-planting modes. The rice blast disease index of Huangkenuo under the interplanting mode（2.79 ± 0.86） was significantly lower than that of the mono-planting（43.65 ± 6.11）,and its plant height under the interplanting mode（138.93±2.91）cm was significantly lower than that of the mono-planting（152.07 ± 2.27）cm, and the number of tillers of Huangkenuo under the mono-planting mode（9.75 ± 0.59） was significantly higher than that of the interplanting（7.04 ± 0.73）.There was no significant difference in disease index, plant height and tiller number of Gangyou 157 under the two planting modes. The yield per hectare of Huangkenuo under the diversity mixed-interplanting mode(6.23 t/hm² ) was significantly higher than that of the mono-planting model（4.50 t/hm²; the yield per hectare of Gangyou 157 under two planting modes was no significant difference. [Conclusion] Under the diversity mixed interplanting mode, the chlorophyll content of the main cultivars increased significantly, the photosynthetic rate decreased significantly, and other photosynthetic characteristics were no significant changes; the performance of the interplanted cultivars was not significantly different from that in the mono-planting mode. At the same time, the incidence of diseases of interplanted varieties was significantly reduced, without affecting the main varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) has become a serious disease on commercial rice (Oryza sativa) crops in northern Australia and is present there on wild rice (O. australiensis). Characterisation of the host range of P. oryzae is fundamental to both reducing disease spread and to preventing development of epidemics via better management of Poaceae inoculum reservoirs in Australia. Studies on response of three different wild O. australiensis sources toward four isolates of P. oryzae showed all genotypes very susceptible to three isolates [WAC13466 (race IA-1), BRIP53376 (race IB-3), NT2014a (race unknown)], but resistant to isolate BRIP39772 (race IA-3). Studies to investigate levels of blast disease development following inoculation on a range of Poaceae hosts showed both P. oryzae isolates (WAC13466, BRIP53376) were highly virulent on barley (disease index, DI = 100%), and on Phalaris and O. australiensis (DI = 70%). However, isolate BRIP53376 showed a significantly higher level of aggressiveness (DI ~80%) on ryegrass, wild oat and rice. Of the two wheat cultivars tested, only one cultivar showed disease and only from WAC13466 (DI ~30%). Sweet corn and goosegrass were also susceptible to both blast isolates, but DI was <50%. That P. oryzae was virulent across these diverse Poaceae hosts, highlights, for Australia, the possibility for these species in, first, harbouring P. oryzae isolates highly virulent to commercial rice, second, fostering spread of rice-attacking P. oryzae strains into regions currently free of rice blast, and third, potential for these alternative host species to encourage development of more virulent host-specific strains of P. oryzae. The current study is an important step towards facilitating improved crop protection in the medium and long term from reducing P. oryzae disease epidemics via a better understanding and management of inoculum reservoirs in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]