Human LL-37 is a multifunctional antimicrobial peptide of cathelicidin family. It has been shown in recent studies that it can serve as a host’s defense against influenza A virus. We now demonstrate in this study how signal peptide LL-37 (SP-LL-37) can be used in rice resistance against bacterial leaf blight and blast. We synthesized LL-37 peptide and subcloned in a recombinant pPZP vector with pGD1 as promoter. SP-LL-37 was introduced into rice plants by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Stable expression of SP-LL-37 in transgenic rice plants was confirmed by RT-PCR and ELISA analyses. Subcellular localization of SP-LL-37-GFP fusion protein showed evidently in intercellular space. Our data on testing for resistance to bacterial leaf blight and blast revealed that the transgenic lines are highly resistant compared to its wildtype. Our results suggest that LL-37 can be further explored to improve wide-spectrum resistance to biotic stress in rice.
This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT Abiotic and biotic stresses adversely affect rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and yield. Conventional breeding is a very effective method to develop tolerant rice variety; however, it takes a decade long to establish a new rice variety. DNA-based markers have a huge potential to improve the efficiency and precision of conventional plant breeding via marker-assisted selection (MAS). The large number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) mapping studies for rice has provided an abundance of DNA marker-trait associations. The limitations of conventional breeding such as linkage drag and lengthy time consumption can be overcome by utilizing DNA markers in plant breeding. The major applications of DNA markers such as MAS, QTL mapping and gene pyramiding have been surveyed. In this review, we presented the latest markers available for some of the most important abiotic and biotic stresses in rice breeding programs. Achieving a significant impact on crop improvement by marker assisted breeding (MAB) represents the great challenge for agricultural scientists in the next few decades.
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