One of Two Major Paralogs of AVR-Pita1 Is Functional in Japanese Rice Blast Isolates

We analyzed the avirulence gene AVR-Pita1 in Japanese rice blast isolates to determine how they gain virulence toward rice cultivars containing the Pita resistance gene. An avirulent isolate, OS99-G-7a (G7a), from a Japanese commercial field contained two paralogs of AVR-Pita1, designated as AVR-Pita1(JA) and AVR-Pita1(JB). Analysis of virulent, independent mutants derived from G7a, a single avirulent progenitor strain, indicated that AVR-Pita1(JA) was functional but AVR-Pita1(JB) was nonfunctional. The most frequent mutation was loss of AVR-Pita1(JA). Analyses of field isolates collected from diverse areas in Japan revealed that most of the AVR-Pita1 genes carried by Japanese isolates were identical to AVR-Pita1(JA) or AVR-Pita1(JB). The relationship between these major paralogs in Japanese isolates and the virulence of the strains carrying them indicate that AVR-Pita1(JA) is functional but AVR-Pita1(JB) is not, as is the case in G7a. Isolates that show virulence toward rice cultivars containing the Pita gene are presumed to have evolved virulence from avirulent origins via loss of AVR-Pita1(JA), except for one case in which virulence resulted from a base substitution. In this study, we discuss the properties and specificities of Japanese rice blasts that relate to virulence against Pita-containing rice. Furthermore, we present a method to amplify AVR-Pita1(JA) and AVR-Pita1(JB) separately and, specifically, to monitor functional AVR-Pita1 in Japan.