Gene Editing of a Susceptibility LncRNA Enhances Broad-Spectrum Disease Resistance in Rice without Developmental...

The identification and genomic editing of defense-related genes to confer resistance to pathogens is an effective and promising strategy for use in crop breeding. However, resistance is often associated with growth inhibition, a phenomenon referred to as the "trade-off" effect, making enhancing resistance without sacrificing yield challenging. In this study, a novel strategy is presented to enhance broad-spectrum resistance in crops without yield loss by editing susceptibility lncRNAs. RESIS, a pathogen-induced lncRNA that acquired its function in the pathogen response during domestication, is identified. Upon pathogen invasion, RESIS is activated by effector-binding elements on its promoter and subsequently binds to NAA15 and NAA10, two core components of the NatA complex. RESIS enables NAA10 to interact with NAA15 through a sequence that evolves in cultivated rice, enhancing the activity of the NatA complex in the N-terminal acetylation of proteins. RESIS knockout suppresses this process and increases translation during pathogen invasion, conferring resistance to both fungal and bacterial diseases without the growth inhibition typically associated with the direct knockout of the NatA complex. These findings highlight the potential of susceptibility lncRNAs as promising target loci for improving crop broad-spectrum disease resistance without detrimental effects on growth, offering significant prospects for practical applications.