In vitro Screening and Molecular Characterization of a Bacterial BlightResistance Gene in Rice

Dongying Gao and Lihua Sun

Abstract

Bacterial blight (BB) is one of the most serious bacterial diseases of rice in the world. Since 1986, our laboratory has conducted in vitro screening and application of BB resistance somaclonal mutants for rice breeding. In this paper, we review our nearly 30-year research on BB resistance somaclonal variation, including the development of an in vitro selection system, discovery of BB resistance mutants, evaluation of BB resistance in a somaclonal mutant named HX-3, genetic analysis and molecular mapping of the new BB resistance gene Xa-25. In addition, we also used the new resistance gene to develop BB resistance cultivar and hybrid rice. Our long-term research contributed a novel resistance gene in rice, it also provided an example for new gene creation and discovery using somaclonal variation.

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