Transgenic rice plants conferring increased tolerance to rice blast and multiple environmental stresses

We isolated a rice gene (denoted YK1), which showed 78 percent amino acid sequence homology to the maize HM1 gene. A chimeric gene consisting of a promoter and first intron of maize ubiquitin gene and the cDNA of YK1 was introduced into rice via Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing this chimeric gene were resistant to rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) disease, which is one of the most serious pathogens in rice. Furthermore, the same transgenic plants conferred high tolerance to several abiotic stresses such as NaCl, UV-C, submergence, and hydrogen peroxide.