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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Broad-spectrum Chemical Inhibitors of RNA Viruses
Published on: May 5, 2014
Loss of function of a rice TPR-domain RNA-binding protein confers broad-spectrum disease resistance
Xiaogang Zhou1,2,3,4, Haicheng Liao1,2,3, Mawsheng Chern5,6
1Key Laboratory of Major Crop Diseases, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
Abstract:
Crops carrying broad-spectrum resistance loci provide an effective strategy for controlling infectious disease because these loci typically confer resistance to diverse races of a pathogen or even multiple species of pathogens. Despite their importance, only a few crop broad-spectrum resistance loci have been reported. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the rice bsr-k1 (broad-spectrum resistance Kitaake-1) mutant, which confers broad-spectrum resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae with no major penalty on key agronomic traits. Map-based cloning reveals that Bsr-k1 encodes a tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs)-containing protein, which binds to mRNAs of multiple OsPAL (OsPAL1-7) genes and promotes their turnover. Loss of function of the Bsr-k1 gene leads to accumulation of OsPAL1-7 mRNAs in the bsr-k1 mutant. Furthermore, overexpression of OsPAL1 in wild-type rice TP309 confers resistance to M. oryzae, supporting the role of OsPAL1 Our discovery of the bsr-k1 allele constitutes a significant conceptual advancement and provides a valuable tool for breeding broad-spectrum resistant rice.
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