Identification of rice blast resistance genes in the elite hybrid rice restorer line Yahui2115.

Rice blast, caused by the ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most serious rice diseases worldwide. We previously developed an elite hybrid rice restorer line with high resistance to rice blast, Yahui2115 (YH2115). To identify the blast resistance genes in YH2115, we first performed expression profiling on previously reported blast resistance genes and disease assay on monogenic lines, and we found that Pi2, Pi9, and Pikm were the most likely resistance candidates in YH2115.

Multiple rice microRNAs are involved in immunity against the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are indispensable regulators for development and defense in eukaryotes. However, the miRNA species have not been explored for rice (Oryza sativa) immunity against the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, the most devastating fungal pathogen in rice production worldwide. Here, by deep sequencing small RNA libraries from susceptible and resistant lines in normal conditions and upon M.

Identification of two novel waxy alleles and development of their molecular markers in sorghum.

High amylopectin grains of waxy sorghum have a high economic value in the food and bioenergy industries because of their increased starch digestibility and higher ethanol conversion rate compared with wild-type sorghum grains. Mutation in the granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) gene contributes to the waxy phenotype. Two classes of waxy alleles, wx(a) and wx(b), have been characterized previously.