Phenotyping data for rice lines edited in the resistance gene against rice yellow mottle disease, rymv1, obtained from the Kitaake variety

The rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV, Sobemovirus RYMV) is one of the most devastating viral pathogens affecting rice production in Africa.The recessive resistance gene rymv1 encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G isoform eIFiso4G1, which acts as a susceptibility factor. Its interaction with the viral VPg protein is essential for infection, and disruptive mutations in eIFiso4G1 are associated with resistance. While naturally occuring resistance alleles are predominantly found in the African cultivated species Oryza glaberrima, their use in breeding programs is limited by interspecific sterility barriers with the widely cultivated O. sativa. CRISPR-Cas9 technology offers new oppportunities to introduce targeted mutations in elite genotypes, already enabling the generation of knockout (KO) or insertion-deletion (Indel) mutations in susceptibility genes involved in several plant-virus interactions. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether CRIPSR-Cas9 could facilitate the development of eIFiso4G1 variants associated with RYMV resistance and contribute to breeding elite rice lines with durable resistance. Using the Kitaake genetic background, we developed lines carrying: (1) KO mutations in eIFiso4G1 and its homologous copy, eIFiso4G2, (2)Indel variants in the eIF(iso)4G1 region critical for interaction with the viral VPg protein. These lines were evaluated under controlled conditions for resistance to diverse RYMV isolates and for morphological traits. This dataset presents the phenotypic evaluation results.