Abstract

The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) is an important mechanismthat plants use to regulate protein turnover for growth,development, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses.Among the three main kinds of UPS enzymes, E3 ubiquitin ligases(E3s) are highly flexible and diverse, and each has unique specificityin recognizing substrates. Many studies have indicated thatE3s play pivotal roles during plant–pathogen interactions. A large number of pathogenic microorganisms can infect riceand cause serious yield losses. The rice genome encodes about1500 E3s, the function of some of which has been recentlyreported. This short article highlights the recent exciting discoveriesconcerning the function of E3s in rice immunity againstdiverse bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens.