Comparative evaluation of independent blast resistance transgenic lines containing Pi54 and its orthologue genes; Pi54rh and Pi54of

Abstract

Rice blast disease caused by Magnaportheoryzae is one of the most devastating rice diseases leading to higher yield losses. Previously, major blast resistance gene Pi54has been cloned and functionally validated from Tetep and subsequently two of its orthologues;Pi54rh and Pi54ofwere also cloned and characterized from Oryza rhizomatis and Oryza officinalis, respectively. In this study we have performed the phenotypic analysis of blast resistance transgenic lines containing Pi54, Pi54rh and Pi54ofin T9, T8, T5, T3 generationfor Magnaporthe oryzae resistance ; and comparative expression analysis by quantitative real time PCR. All the three transgenic lines exhibited a resistance phenotype against blast pathogen and the expression analysis of these genes at different time intervals confirmed the stability of transgenes and gene expression. Hence, these characterized rice lines could be used as an important source for the rice genetic improvement for blast resistance breeding.