HomeResearchBreeding and genetics
Brown and white-backed planthoppers attack rice together across Asia. Breeders often assume resistance to one covers the other. By reading which genes switch on and off under each pest, this study shows the defences are largely separate.
Research question
Most breeding effort targets the brown planthopper, assuming those varieties also resist the white-backed planthopper. No study had compared how one resistant rice line defends itself against each pest at the level of genes.
Methods
Three stages: cross, sequence, confirm.
Results
Resistance to the two pests segregated independently in the 180 lines, a sign of separate genes.
Number of genes changed in the resistant line, compared with uninfested plants.
Data: Results section of the paper.
Results
Some defences are shared, such as trehalose and proline pathways; others are pest-specific, such as MYB-led defence against brown planthopper only.
Genes grouped by how they responded to each pest.
Data: Results section and Fig. 3 of the paper.
Implications
Breeders should combine resistance to both pests on purpose, not expect one to bring the other. Pinning traits to genes is slow lab work. Aadi is built to predict which genes and alleles matter before the lab work starts.
See AadiThe paper
Rice is staple food for over two billion people. Planthoppers like BPH and WBPH occur together in most of rice growing regions across Asia and cause extensive yield loss by feeding and transmission of disease-causing viruses. Chemical control of the pest is expensive and ecologically disastrous; breeding resistant varieties is an acceptable option. But most of such efforts are focused on BPH with an assumption that these varieties will also be effective against WBPH. No critical studies are available to understand rice resistance, common or otherwise, against these two planthoppers. Our studies aimed to understand the defense mechanisms in rice line RP2068 against BPH and WBPH through RNA sequencing analysis of a RIL line TR3RR derived from the cross TN1 (susceptible) and RP2068 (resistant) after infestation with BPH or WBPH. Results revealed higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in BPH infested plants than in WBPH infested plants when compared with the uninfested plants. Gene ontology analysis revealed differences in plant response to the two planthoppers. These results were validated through the analysis of expression of 27 genes through semi-quantitative and quantitative real-time RT-PCR using a set of five RILs that were genetically identical but with different reaction against the two planthoppers. Rice defense against the two sympatric planthoppers: BPH and WBPH has distinct features in RP2068. Hence, a conscious combination of resistance to these two pests is essential for effective field management.
Divya, D., Sahu, N., Reddy, P. S., Nair, S., & Bentur, J. S. (2021). RNA-sequencing reveals differentially expressed rice genes functionally associated with defense against BPH and WBPH in RILs derived from a cross between RP2068 and TN1. Rice, 14, 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-021-00470-3
Related research
Field screening of 158 accessions over two sowings identified resistant wild derivatives and the weather that drives disease.
J. Horticultural Sciences · with ICAR-NBPGRRead the deep dive
A spectral–spatial classifier trained on 1 to 10% of labels, with at most two tuned settings, that transfers across scenes without retraining.
Sensors (MDPI) · with IIT MadrasRead the deep dive
Two cultivars under four red–blue LED regimes at 16 and 18 h: crop duration fell by 17 days and flowering came up to 27 days earlier.
J. Advances in Biology & Biotechnology · with Malla Reddy UniversityRead the deep dive
Tell us your crop and what you want the model to answer. We will reply with the model card and next steps.
