Blast resistance genes of rice and their markers (review)

Blast resistance genes of rice and their markers (review) Rice blast is a very harmful and dangerous disease, caused by the fungus pathogen Pyricularia oryzae Cavara риса (Oryza sativa L.). The use of the varieties resistant to the disease is one of the efficient ways to protect plants from diseases. The recent progress in rice genomics allowed using DNA-markers to grow resistant varieties through marker breeding (MAS). The article summarizes the information about blast resistance genes of rice and their markers, which can be used in breeding. The article gives the data about registered genes and their number, chromosome loci, regularities of stability, samples-donors and molecule characteristics of cloned genes. Besides, several questions about a nomenclature system and identification of resistance genes have been considered in the paper. The information can help rice breeders improve rice blast resistance through marker breeding. ARRIGC together with ARRI of rice and SFU have started breeding rice varieties resistant to blast through marker breeding since 2003. Their long-term work in the introgression of resistance genes by PCR-analysis resulted in the development of the rice variety ‘Magnat’ with the genes Pi-1 and Pi-2, and in 2015 there were obtained pyramid rice lines with five rice blast resistance genes Pi-l, Pi-2, Pi-33, Pi-ta and Pi-b