Transgenic rice plants expressing the ferredoxin-like protein (AP1) from sweet pepper show enhanced resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

We used particle bombardment to cotransform mature seed-derived rice callus (Oryza sativa L., ssp. japonica, cv. Eyi 105) with plasmids containing the linked marker genes gusA and hpt, and the ap1 gene encoding an amphipathic protein previously shown to delay the hypersensitive response induced in non-host plants by the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss). Thirty-two independent lines of transgenic rice plants were regenerated, and 27 of these lines carried all three transgenes as shown by molecular analysis. A bacterial blight inoculation test was carried out on ten lines. In each case, plants carrying the ap1 gene showed enhanced resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) race 6 at various levels. This suggests the ap1 gene could be a useful candidate for genetic engineering strategies in rice to provide bacterial blight resistance.