Mechanism by which bacterium Xoo interacts with rice plants uncovered

Recently, scientists from the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (CPMB) have uncovered the mechanism by which bacterium called Xoo causes disease in rice plants.
Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzae (Xoo) causes a serious bacterial leaf blight disease in rice. It is also known as Bacterial blight.
The most-common method of defending against rice bacterial blight is the cultivation of rice varieties with genes that confer resistance to Xoo infection.
However, this method involves breeding or gene manipulation techniques that are laborious and time-consuming.
New ApproachScientists are working to identify and develop few molecules which are derived either from the Xoo bacterium or from the infected rice cell walls.
Treatment of rice with cellulase, a cell wall degrading enzyme secreted by Xoo induces rice immune responses and protects rice from subsequent infections by Xoo.