Research Progress on Disease Resistance Genes and Breeding in Banana (Musa spp.)

Abstract

Banana (Musa spp.), the fourth most important staple crop and a vital economic commodity globally, faces severe threats from Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), leaf spot diseases, and viral infections. TR4 has spread to 25 countries, endangering 50% of banana cultivation areas. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in disease resistance gene exploration and molecular breeding technologies: (1) Functional studies of resistance genes reveal that NBS-LRR-type genes recognize pathogen effectors to activate immune responses. Overexpression of RGA2 enhances TR4 resistance in Cavendish bananas by up to 82%. (2) Precise editing of signaling regulatory genes and physical barrier-related genes significantly improves disease resistance. CRISPR-mediated editing of the MaNPR1 promoter triples TR4 resistance. (3) Breakthroughs in molecular breeding—including gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9), synthetic biology (inducible resistance circuits), and marker-assisted selection (MaACS markers)—have shortened breeding cycles from 15 to 8 years while enabling pyramiding of multi-gene resistance. However, challenges persist, such as genetic uniformity, pathogen co-evolution, and technological implementation barriers. Future efforts should integrate multi-omics technologies, develop broad-spectrum resistance strategies, and establish global germplasm innovation platforms to ensure sustainable banana production.