Elucidation of the molecular basis of the Ptr gene in Black Hull Awn (BHA) weedy rice mediated signaling transduction

Authors: OSAKINA, ARON - Washington University; OLSEN, KENNETH - Washington University; Jia, Yulin

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/7/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important staple food for the human population worldwide. Weedy rice, a conspecific rice, is one of the intractable pests that threatens rice production globally. Understanding the biology of weedy rice is crucial for weedy rice management and can also benefit crop protection. The Ptr gene in cultivated rice confers broad spectrum resistance to the majority of US blast isolates except IB33. Ptr encodes a predicted protein with 4 armadillo repeats next to Pi-ta, another blast resistance gene. Pi-ta encodes a predicted protein with nucleotide binding sites and leucine rich domain. Resistance spectra of Pi-ta is enhanced by Ptr. In the present study, we investigated if weedy rice has evolved novel resistance specificity and molecular mechanisms of Ptr in weedy rice mediated signal transduction. We found that the Ptr gene in a Black Hull Awn (BHA) weedy rice genotype confers resistance to blast race IB33. This resistance is attributed to minor changes of protein conformation of the PtrBHA protein where a unique Glutamine amino acid at position 874 (Gln874) is present in PtrBHA and is speculated to be key for specificity of Protein and protein interaction. Ongoing research therefore seeks to establish whether amino acid modification in the PtrBHA protein is important for pathogen recognition and signaling transduction resulting in disease resistance using a biochemical approach. Results will be presented.