The article "Sub1A is an ethylene-response-factor-like gene that confers submergence tolerance to rice" by Xu et al. (2006) describes the identification and characterization of a gene cluster at the Sub1 locus in rice, which confers submergence tolerance. The study found that a cluster of three genes, including Sub1A, Sub1B, and Sub1C, are located near the centromere of chromosome 9. Overexpression of the Sub1A-1 allele in a submergence-intolerant rice variety enhanced its submergence tolerance, downregulating Sub1C and upregulating Alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (Adh1). The Sub1A-1 allele was identified as a primary determinant of submergence tolerance. The authors also successfully introgressed the Sub1 locus from the tolerant FR13A variety into the widely grown Asian rice cultivar Swarna using marker-assisted selection, resulting in a new variety that maintains high yield and agronomic properties while being tolerant to submergence. This work highlights the potential of genetic engineering and marker-assisted breeding to improve rice resilience to flooding, which is a significant issue in south and southeast Asia.The article "Sub1A is an ethylene-response-factor-like gene that confers submergence tolerance to rice" by Xu et al. (2006) describes the identification and characterization of a gene cluster at the Sub1 locus in rice, which confers submergence tolerance. The study found that a cluster of three genes, including Sub1A, Sub1B, and Sub1C, are located near the centromere of chromosome 9. Overexpression of the Sub1A-1 allele in a submergence-intolerant rice variety enhanced its submergence tolerance, downregulating Sub1C and upregulating Alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (Adh1). The Sub1A-1 allele was identified as a primary determinant of submergence tolerance. The authors also successfully introgressed the Sub1 locus from the tolerant FR13A variety into the widely grown Asian rice cultivar Swarna using marker-assisted selection, resulting in a new variety that maintains high yield and agronomic properties while being tolerant to submergence. This work highlights the potential of genetic engineering and marker-assisted breeding to improve rice resilience to flooding, which is a significant issue in south and southeast Asia.