Open AccessTransgenic expression of the rice Xa21 pattern‐recognition receptor in banana ( M usa sp.) confers resistance to X anthomonas campestris pv. musacearum
Author(s) -
Tripathi Jaindra N.,
Lorenzen Jim,
Bahar Ofir,
Ronald Pamela,
Tripathi Leena
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12170
Subject(s) - biology , genetically modified rice , cultivar , xanthomonas oryzae , transgene , ralstonia solanacearum , plant disease resistance , gene , genetically modified crops , oryza sativa , xanthomonas campestris , horticulture , pathogen , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , genetics
Summary Banana Xanthomonas wilt ( BXW ), caused by the bacterium X anthomonas campestris pv. musacearum ( X cm ), is the most devastating disease of banana in east and central A frica. The spread of BXW threatens the livelihood of millions of A frican farmers who depend on banana for food security and income. There are no commercial chemicals, biocontrol agents or resistant cultivars available to control BXW . Here, we take advantage of the robust resistance conferred by the rice pattern‐recognition receptor ( PRR ), XA 21, to the rice pathogen X anthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( X oo ). We identified a set of genes required for activation of Xa21 ‐mediated immunity ( rax ) that were conserved in both X oo and X cm . Based on the conservation, we hypothesized that intergeneric transfer of Xa21 would confer resistance to X cm . We evaluated 25 transgenic lines of the banana cultivar ‘ G onja manjaya’ ( AAB ) using a rapid bioassay and 12 transgenic lines in the glasshouse for resistance against X cm . About 50% of the transgenic lines showed complete resistance to X cm in both assays. In contrast, all of the nontransgenic control plants showed severe symptoms that progressed to complete wilting. These results indicate that the constitutive expression of the rice Xa21 gene in banana results in enhanced resistance against X cm . Furthermore, this work demonstrates the feasibility of PRR gene transfer between monocotyledonous species and provides a valuable new tool for controlling the BXW pandemic of banana, a staple food for 100 million people in east A frica.