武汉大学生命科学学院何光存教授实验室与国内同行合作，经过14年的研究，近日在水稻抗褐飞虱基因克隆和抗虫分子机理方面取得重大突破，成功分离了抗褐飞虱基因Bph14，研究结果发表在最新一期美国《国家科学院院刊》（Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，PNAS）上。该论文第一作者为博士生杜波和张维林。这是国际上应用图位克隆法(map-based cloning)分离得到的第一例水稻抗虫基因。
一直以来，人们对水稻如何能抗虫感到困惑不解，何光存教授实验室的该项研究结果揭示了这一机制。水稻抗褐飞虱基因Bph14就像一个“哨兵”，当褐飞虱危害水稻时，该基因就可感知到这一信号，并将信号传达到细胞核，调动其他基因的抗虫机制，抑制害虫的取食和消化，使害虫的生长发育受阻，害虫死亡率上升，从而使水稻免受危害。
水稻抗褐飞虱基因Bph14的成功克隆，将促进水稻抗稻飞虱育种研究快速发展，从而为少打农药、减少粮食损失，发展环境友好型和资源节约型农业做出重要贡献。
据了解，稻飞虱是水稻生产中最重要的虫害之一，近年来我国水稻的稻飞虱发生面积达几亿亩。科学家们期望通过提高水稻品种抗性防治稻飞虱。上世纪60年代以来，全世界科学家从水稻农家品种和野生稻转育材料中鉴定出了20多个抗褐飞虱基因位点，但是一直没有克隆到这些基因，水稻抗虫性的分子机理也不甚明了。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
PNAS December 14, 2009, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0912139106
Identification and characterization of Bph14, a gene conferring resistance to brown planthopper in rice
Bo Dua,1, Weilin Zhanga,1, Bingfang Liua, Jing Hua, Zhe Weia, Zhenying Shia, Ruifeng Hea, Lili Zhua, Rongzhi Chena, Bin Hanb and Guangcun Hea,2
aKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Plant Development Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; and
bNational Center for Gene Research, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China
Planthoppers are highly destructive pests in crop production worldwide. Brown planthopper (BPH) causes the most serious damage of the rice crop globally among all rice pests. Growing resistant varieties is the most effective and environment-friendly strategy for protecting the crop from BPH. More than 19 BPH-resistance genes have been reported and used to various extents in rice breeding and production. In this study, we cloned Bph14, a gene conferring resistance to BPH at seedling and maturity stages of the rice plant, using a map-base cloning approach. We show that Bph14 encodes a coiled-coil, nucleotide-binding, and leucine-rich repeat (CC-NB-LRR) protein. Sequence comparison indicates that Bph14 carries a unique LRR domain that might function in recognition of the BPH insect invasion and activating the defense response. Bph14 is predominantly expressed in vascular bundles, the site of BPH feeding. Expression of Bph14 activates the salicylic acid signaling pathway and induces callose deposition in phloem cells and trypsin inhibitor production after planthopper infestation, thus reducing the feeding, growth rate, and longevity of the BPH insects. Our work provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of rice defense against insects and facilitates the development of resistant varieties to control this devastating insect.
