1. Exogenous RNA interference exposes contrasting roles for sugar exudation in host-finding by plant pathogens.
- Author
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Warnock ND, Wilson L, Canet-Perez JV, Fleming T, Fleming CC, Maule AG, and Dalzell JJ
- Subjects
- Animals, Chemotaxis, Fructose metabolism, Gene Knockdown Techniques, Glucose metabolism, Solanum lycopersicum metabolism, Monosaccharides genetics, Plant Exudates genetics, Plant Exudates metabolism, Plant Roots metabolism, Plant Roots parasitology, RNA, Double-Stranded physiology, Seedlings metabolism, Seedlings parasitology, Xylose metabolism, Host-Seeking Behavior physiology, Solanum lycopersicum parasitology, Monosaccharides metabolism, Plant Exudates physiology, RNA Interference physiology, Tylenchoidea physiology
- Abstract
Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) locate host plants by following concentration gradients of root exudate chemicals in the soil. We present a simple method for RNA interference (RNAi)-induced knockdown of genes in tomato seedling roots, facilitating the study of root exudate composition, and PPN responses. Knockdown of sugar transporter genes, STP1 and STP2, in tomato seedlings triggered corresponding reductions of glucose and fructose, but not xylose, in collected root exudate. This corresponded directly with reduced infectivity and stylet thrusting of the promiscuous PPN Meloidogyne incognita, however we observed no impact on the infectivity or stylet thrusting of the selective Solanaceae PPN Globodera pallida. This approach can underpin future efforts to understand the early stages of plant-pathogen interactions in tomato and potentially other crop plants., (Copyright © 2016 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2016
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