article · Plant Biotechnology Journal
This research investigated the role of two terpene synthase enzymes, OsTPS19 and OsTPS20, in rice plant defence. These enzymes, which are activated by brown planthopper (BPH) attacks, are crucial for synthesising (S)-limonene. Experiments showed that BPH adults respond to (S)-limonene differently depending on its concentration, exhibiting preference at low levels and avoidance at high levels. Rice plants engineered to overexpress OsTPS19 and OsTPS20 emitted more (S)-limonene, leading to a reduction in BPH egg hatching and decreased severity of sheath blight and bacterial blight. Conversely, plants with reduced OsTPS19 and OsTPS20 activity, emitting less (S)-limonene, were more vulnerable to these pathogens. Field trials confirmed that increased expression of these enzymes reduced the incidence of BPH, rice blast, and sheath blight without negatively affecting rice yield. This indicates OsTPS19 and OsTPS20 are key regulators of (S)-limonene emission, enhancing rice resistance to both insect pests and diseases.
Understanding how rice plants naturally defend themselves against pests and diseases is vital for developing sustainable agricultural practices. This research identifies specific genetic pathways that could be manipulated to create more resilient rice varieties, potentially reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and improving food security.
This early-stage research identifies specific genetic targets, OsTPS19 and OsTPS20, that could be used to develop rice varieties with enhanced natural resistance to insect pests and diseases. Such genetically modified or gene-edited rice plants would benefit farmers by reducing crop losses and potentially lowering the need for chemical interventions. The findings suggest a pathway for creating more robust rice crops for agricultural use.
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Terpene synthases (TPSs) are key enzymes in terpenoids synthesis of plants and play crucial roles in regulating plant defence against pests and diseases. Here, we report the functional characterization of OsTPS19 and OsTPS20, which were upregulated by the attack of brown planthopper (BPH). BPH female adults performed concentration-dependent behavioural responses to (S)-limonene showing preference behaviour at low concentrations and avoidance behaviour at high concentrations. Overexpression lines of OsTPS19 and OsTPS20, which emitted higher amounts of the monoterpene (S)-limonene, decreased the hatching rate of BPH eggs, reduced the lesion length of sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani and bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae. While knockout lines of OsTPS19 and OsTPS20, which emitted lower amounts of (S)-limonene, were more susceptible to these pathogens. Overexpression of OsTPS19 and OsTPS20 in rice plants had adverse effects on the incidence of BPH, rice blast, and sheath blight in the field and had no significant impacts on rice yield traits. OsTPS19 and OsTPS20 were found to be involved in fine-tuning the emission of (S)-limonene in rice plants and play an important role in defence against both BPH and rice pathogens.
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DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14481
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