Reciprocal adaptation of rice and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae: cross-species 2D GWAS reveals the underlying genetics.

A 1D/2D genome-wide association study strategy was adopted to investigate the genetic systems underlying the reciprocal adaptation of rice (Oryza sativa) and its bacterial pathogen, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) using the whole-genome sequencing and large-scale phenotyping data of 701 rice accessions and 23 diverse Xoo strains. Forty-seven Xoo virulence-related genes and 318 rice quantitative resistance genes (QR-genes) mainly located in 41 genomic regions, and genome-wide interactions between the detected virulence-related genes and QR genes were identified, including well-known resistance genes/virulence genes plus many previously uncharacterized ones.

Comparative transcriptome profiling of a rice line carrying Xa39 and its parents triggered by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae provides novel insights into the broad-spectrum hypersensitive response.

Background: Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is a devastating rice disease worldwide. Xa39 is a resistance (R) gene with a broad-spectrum hypersensitive response (BSHR) to Xoo.