Engineering plant disease resistance against biotrophic pathogens

Breeding for disease resistance against microbial pathogens is essential for food security in modern agriculture. Conventional breeding, although widely accepted, is time consuming. An alternative approach is generating crop plants with desirable traits through genetic engineering. The collective efforts of many labs in the past 30 years have led to a comprehensive understanding of how plant immunity is achieved, enabling the application of genetic engineering to enhance disease resistance in crop plants. Here, we briefly review the engineering of disease resistance against biotrophic pathogens using various components of the plant immune system. Recent breakthroughs in immune receptor signaling and systemic acquired resistance (SAR), along with innovations in precise gene editing methods, provide exciting new opportunities for the development of improved environmentally friendly crop varieties that are disease resistant with high yield.

Automated summary

Breeding for disease resistance in crop plants is crucial for food security in modern agriculture, with genetic engineering offering a promising alternative. Recent advancements in immune receptor signaling, systemic acquired resistance, and precise gene editing methods provide exciting opportunities for developing improved crop varieties.