Cross-Species Transfer of the Maize NAM-ATAF1/2-CUC2 Transcription Factor ZmNAC2 Confers Disease Resistance in Transgenic Rice Without a Yield Penalty.

ABSTRACT: Rice is a staple crop feeding over half of the global population, yet it faces severe yield losses due to devastating diseases, including those caused by hemibiotrophic pathogens, such as Magnaporthe oryzae (the causative agent of blast disease) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (the bacterial leaf blight pathogen). While resistance genes are a cornerstone of crop protection, many nucleotide-binding leucine-rich receptor (NLR)-type resistance genes are prone to breakdown and often impose yield penalties. In this study, we report that the cross-species transfer of the maize NAM-ATAF1/2-CUC2 transcription factor ZmNAC2 into rice confers resistance to both blast and bacterial leaf blight diseases without compromising yield. Mechanistically, ZmNAC2 interacts with OsNAC2, a negative regulator o

SUBMITTER: Gao X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12828170 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature