Overexpression of <i>ORP1C</i> gene increases the rice resistance to <i>Xanthomonas oryzae</i> pv. <i>oryzae</i> through negatively regulating transcription activator-like effectors translocation

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by <i>Xanthomonas oryzae</i> pv. <i>oryzae</i> (<i>Xoo</i>) has shown a high incidence rate in rice fields in recent years. Rice resistance breeding is considered as the most effective method for achieving economical and sustainable management of BLB disease. The essential basis for resistance breeding is rooted in the exploration of rice resistance genes and the clarification of the molecular mechanisms that underlie <i>Xoo</i> resistance. In our previous research, we showed that <i>Xanthomonas</i> outer protein XopZ and rice oxysterol-binding related protein ORP1C collaboratively regulate the compatible interaction between <i>Xoo</i> strain PXO99 and Nipponbare rice, but the deeper regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we successfully constructed <i>ORP1C</i> overexpression rice using the plant binary expression vector pCAMBIA1301. Through a series of virulence and effector translocation detections in <i>Xoo</i>-rice interactions, we revealed that overexpression of the <i>ORP1C</i> gene largely increases rice resistance to multiple <i>Xoo</i> strains from different countries and regions. Mechanistically, ORP1C plays a <i>Xoo</i> resistant role through negatively regulating transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) translocation, <i>ORP1C</i> has become a potential candidate gene resource for disease-resistant breeding in rice. Further studies also indicated that XopZ and ORP1C collaboratively regulate the compatible interaction of PXO99-Nipponbare by modulating TALEs translocation.