Enhancing Plant Disease Resistance without R Genes

Birinchi Kumar Sarma; Harikesh Bahadur Singh; Dilantha Fernando; Roberto Nascimento Silva; Vijai Kumar Gupta

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.04.002

Enhancing Plant Disease Resistance without R Genes

Trends Biotechnol. 2016 Jul;34(7):523-525. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.04.002. Epub 2016 Apr 21.

Authors

Birinchi Kumar Sarma¹, Harikesh Bahadur Singh¹, Dilantha Fernando², Roberto Nascimento Silva³, Vijai Kumar Gupta⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
² Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
⁴ Molecular Glycobiotechnology Group, Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland. Electronic address: vijai.gupta@nuigalway.ie.

PMID: 27113633
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.04.002

Abstract

Crop plants encounter constant biotic challenges, and these challenges have historically been best managed with resistance (R) genes. However, the rapid evolution of new pathogenic strains along with the nonavailability or nonidentification of R genes in cultivated crop species against a large number of plant pathogens have led researchers to think beyond R genes. Biotechnological tools have shown promise in dealing with such challenges. Technologies such as transgenerational plant immunity, interspecies transfer of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), pathogen-derived resistance (PDR), gene regulation, and expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in host plants from other plant species have led to enhanced disease resistance and increased food security.

Publication types

Letter

MeSH terms

Agriculture / methods*
Disease Resistance
Food Supply
Gene Editing / methods*
Plant Diseases / prevention & control*
Plants / immunology*