Rice is the most important food crop worldwide and sustainable rice production is important for ensuring global food security. Biotic stresses limit rice production significantly and among them, bacterial blight (BB) disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is very important. BB reduces rice yields severely in the highly productive irrigated and rainfed lowland ecosystems and in recent years; the disease is spreading fast to other rice growing ecosystems as well. Being a vascular pathogen, Xoo interferes with a range of physiological and biochemical exchange processes in rice. The response of rice to Xoo involves specific interactions between resistance (R) genes of rice and avirulence (Avr) genes of Xoo, covering most of the resistance genes except the recessive ones. The genetic basis of resistance to BB in rice has been studied intensively, and at least 44 genes conferring resistance to BB have been identified, and many resistant rice cultivars and hybrids have been developed and released worldwide. However, the existence and emergence of new virulent isolates of Xoo in the realm of a rapidly changing climate necessitates identification of novel broad-spectrum resistance genes and intensification of gene-deployment strategies. This review discusses about the origin and occurrence of BB in rice, interactions between Xoo and rice, the important roles of resistance genes in plant’s defense response, the contribution of rice resistance genes toward development of disease resistance varieties, identification and characterization of novel, and broad-spectrum BB resistance genes from wild species of Oryza and also presents a perspective on potential strategies to achieve the goal of sustainable disease management.

水稻是全球最重要的粮食作物，可持续水稻生产对于确保全球粮食安全非常重要。生物胁迫显着限制了水稻生产，其中由米黄单胞菌引起的白叶枯病（BB）病。 oryzae (Xoo) 非常重要。近年来，BB 严重降低了高产灌溉和雨养低地生态系统中的水稻产量；这种疾病也正在迅速传播到其他水稻种植生态系统。作为一种维管病原体，Xoo 会干扰水稻的一系列生理和生化交换过程。水稻对Xoo的反应涉及水稻抗性（R）基因和Xoo无毒（Avr）基因之间的特异性相互作用，涵盖了除隐性基因外的大部分抗性基因。水稻抗BB的遗传基础已得到深入研究，至少已鉴定出44个赋予BB抗性的基因，并且许多抗性水稻品种和杂交种已在世界范围内开发和推广。然而，在快速变化的气候领域中新的 Xoo 强毒菌株的存在和出现，需要鉴定新的广谱抗性基因并强化基因部署策略。本文讨论了水稻中 BB 的起源和发生、Xoo 与水稻之间的相互作用、抗性基因在植物防御反应中的重要作用、水稻抗性基因对抗病品种开发的贡献、新品种的鉴定和表征。野生稻种的广谱 BB 抗性基因，还提出了实现可持续疾病管理目标的潜在策略的观点。