An NLR-VOZ seesaw: from asymmetric selection to synthetic broad-spectrum resistance

A recent study in Nature identified the rice ( Oryza sativa ) nucleotide-binding site and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptor XA48, which recognized the ancient bacterial effector XopG and triggered immunity by promoting degradation of the negative regulators OsVOZ1/2. Population genomics revealed an asymmetric selection, with Xa48 retained in indica but lost in japonica due to a reproductive penalty. By stacking XA48-mediated effector-triggered immunity (ETI) with XA21-mediated pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and introducing the compatible Os VOZ1 S allele, broad-spectrum bacterial blight resistance from wild rice was reconstituted. This work provides a design strategy that helps break the growth-defence trade-off.