A rice blast-resistance genetic resource from wild rice in Yunnan, China

Compared to Pi-ta(-) alleles, Pi-ta(+) alleles can cause blast resistance response. In this work, Pi-ta gene in multiple rice materials, including local rice cultivars, different types of O. rufipogon and O. longistaminata was detected by molecular cloning and sequence analysis. Results indicated that Pi-ta(+) alleles were rare alleles, because in all the tested materials, only the 'Erect' type of O. rufipogon (ETOR) from Jinghong county in Yunnan province contains a Pi-ta(+) allele. Another rice blast resistance gene, Pib, confers resistance to the Japanese strain of M. grisea, was also confirmed to be functional in this type of O. rufipogon. The results of pathogen inoculation test show that ETOR is more strongly resistant to the tested blast pathogen races than other types of O. rufipogon. The resistance of ETOR may at least partially depend upon the functioning of Pi-ta and Pib gene. As O. rufipogon has the same type of genome with the cultivated rice (O. sativa), Pi-ta(+) and Pib gene in Erect type of O. rufipogon can be used to improve the tolerance of cultivated rice to blast, either by traditional hybridization or by genetic engineering.