Enhanced late blight resistance by engineering an EpiC2B-insensitive immune protease

Crop protection strategies relying on the improvement of the natural plant immune system via genetic engineering are sustainable solutions against the pathogen thread on food security. Here we describe a novel way to improve the plant immune system by immune protease engineering. As proof of concept, we increased resistance against the late blight pathogen Phytopththora infestans by rendering the tomato secreted immune protease Pip1 insensitive to the P. infestans -secreted inhibitor Epic2B. This concept can be applied to secreted immune proteases in crops by precision breeding.