Creation of Bacterial Blight Resistant Rice by Targeting Homologous Sequences of Xa13 and Xa25 Genes

Abstract

Bacterial blight is a destructive disease in rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Single resistance genes often have limitations in providing broad-spectrum resistance, as pathogens continuously evolve and vary. Breeding rice varieties with multiple disease resistance genes has proven to be an effective strategy for controlling bacterial blight. In this study, a single Cas9/gRNA construct was used to target the homologous sequences of Xa13 and Xa25 genes through destroying the target gene function, creating bacterial blight resistance in five rice varieties. These materials provide promising germplasm resources for the development of rice varieties with durable resistance to bacterial blight.