Molecular Mapping of a New Brown Planthopper Resistance Gene Bph43 in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

Brown planthopper (BPH) has become the most devastating insect pests of rice and a serious threat to rice production. To combat newly occurring virulent BPH populations, it is still urgent to explore more new broad-spectrum BPH resistance genes and integrate them into rice cultivars. In the present study, we explored the genetic basis of BPH resistance in IRGC 8678. We identified and mapped a new resistance gene Bph43 to a region of ~380 kb on chromosome 11. Genes encoding nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat-containing (NBS-LRR)-type disease resistance proteins or Leucine Rich Repeat family proteins annotated in this region were predicted as the possible candidates for Bph43. Meanwhile, we developed near isogenic lines of Bph43 (NIL-Bph43-9311) in an elite restorer line 9311 background using marker-assisted selection (MAS). The further characterization of NIL-Bph43-9311 demonstrated that Bph43 confers strong antibiosis and antixenosis effects on BPH. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that genes related to the defense response and resistance gene-dependent signaling pathway were significantly and uniquely enriched in BPH-infested NIL-Bph43-9311. Our work demonstrated that Bph43 can be deployed as a valuable donor in BPH resistance breeding programs.