Role of Resistance-related genes in the Interaction of Rice with the Causal Agent of Bacterial Brown Stripe

Rice bacterial brown stripe, caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae is recognized by producing water-soaked and brown stripes on leaves and sheaths of rice seedlings in nursery. Contamination of ecosystems upon excessive use of pesticides and emergence of resistance in pathogens to these chemicals makes continuous research on development of new control methods and strategies to combat plant pathogens an essential task. Plant disease resistance genes are useful genetic resources that can be employed to develop resistant varieties as the best alternative to other control measures. This research aimed to study the role of NH1, PR1, POX and PR10, pathogenesis related proteins and PDR20 gene in two Iranian rice cultivars inoculated with an incompatible strain of bacterial brown stripe using the Quantitative Real-time PCR technique. After Screening of 5 Iranian rice cultivars, Tarom and Sahel were selected as susceptible and resistant cultivars, respectively. The results of this study showed that the expression level of thesegenes has greatly increased in Sahel cultivar in comparison to Tarom (susceptible) cultivar. Increased expression level of the aforementioned genes, proves the role of these genes in resistance of rice plants against bacterial brown stripe disease.