Horizontal Transmission of the Rice Bacterial Pathogen Among Plants by Rice Planthoppers.

is a bacterium commonly found in various agronomic crops and agricultural pests. In this study, we present findings on a genome-reduced strain of , known as Lstr, which was initially isolated from (small brown rice planthopper [SBPH]). We identified Lstr as a plant pathogen causing disease in rice using Koch's postulates. The pathogenicity of Lstr on rice is comparable to that of pv, the main causative agent of rice bacterial blight. Through a series of experiments involving live insects, molecular investigations, and microscopy, we find that Lstr can accumulate within SBPH. Subsequently, Lstr can be transmitted from SBPH to rice plants, resulting in leaf blight, and can also be transmitted to other SBPH individuals. Collectively, our results suggest that SBPH serves as a vector for Lstr in rice plants. may encounter susceptible insect populations and become endemic through horizontal transmission from these insects. This could also be valuable for predicting future occurrences of bacterial leaf blight in rice and other crops caused by .