Project description:Pasteuria penetrans, an obligate endospore-forming parasite of Meloidogyne spp. (root knot nematodes), has been identified as a promising agent for biocontrol of these destructive agricultural crop pests. Pasteuria ramosa, an obligate parasite of water fleas (Daphnia spp.), has been shown to modulate cladoceran populations in natural ecosystems. Selected sporulation genes and an epitope associated with the spore envelope of these related species were compared. The sigE and spoIIAA/spoIIAB genes differentiate the two species to a greater extent than 16S rRNA and may serve as probes to differentiate the species. Single-nucleotide variations were observed in several conserved genes of five distinct populations of P. ramosa, and while most of these variations are silent single-nucleotide polymorphisms, a few result in conservative amino acid substitutions. A monoclonal antibody directed against an adhesin epitope present on P. penetrans P20 endospores, previously determined to be specific for Pasteuria spp. associated with several phytopathogenic nematodes, also detects an epitope associated with P. ramosa endospores. Immunoblotting provided patterns that differentiate P. ramosa from other Pasteuria spp. This monoclonal antibody thus provides a probe with which to detect and discriminate endospores of different Pasteuria spp. The presence of a shared adhesin epitope in two species with such ecologically distant hosts suggests that there is an ancient and ecologically significant recognition process in these endospore-forming bacilli that contributes to the virulence of both species in their respective hosts.
Project description:The goal of this study was to elucidate genes that are employed by the bacterivorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to respond to the emerging nosocomial bacterial pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
Project description:There is mounting evidence for the role of epigenetic processes in the regulation of plant responses to a wide range of external stimuli. Despite their importance, the significance of epigenetic processes in plant-pathogen interactions remain poorly understood. So far, the role of histone modifications has not been investigated at genome wide level in plant-nematode interactions, although their expression levels are altered in nematode-induced galls. In this study, we first applied chemical inhibitors of histone modifying enzymes on rice plants. Despite theirdistinct effects on histone modifications, application of different concentrations of Niconinamide, sulfamethazine and fumaric acid lead to reduced susceptibility to nematode infection. Similarly, two overexpression lines of histone lysine methyltransferases and one histone deacetylase were analyzed in an infection assay with nematodes, showing contrasting results in susceptibility. These data indicate that histone modifications can affect plant defence against nematodes in rice. To further investigate their effect, the genome-wide level of three histone marks namely H3K9ac, H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 was studied by chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing on nematode-induced galls in comparison with control root tips.
Project description:Plant-parasitic cyst nematodes induce the formation of hypermetabolic feeding sites, termed syncytia, as their sole source of nutrients. The formation of the syncytium is orchestrated by the nematode in part by modulation of phytohormone responses, including cytokinin. In response to infection by the nematode H. schachtii, cytokinin signaling is transiently induced at the site of infection and in the developing syncytium. Arabidopsis lines with reduced cytokinin sensitivity show reduced susceptibility to nematode infection, indicating that cytokinin signaling is required for optimal nematode development. Furthermore, lines with increased cytokinin sensitivity also exhibit reduced nematode susceptibility. To ascertain why cytokinin hypersensitivity reduces nematode parasitism, we examined the transcriptomes in wild-type and a cytokinin-hypersensitive type-A arr Arabidopsis mutant in response to H. schachtii infection. Genes involved in the response to biotic stress and defense response were elevated in the type-A arr mutant in the absence of nematodes and were hyper-induced following H. schachtii infection, which suggests that the Arabidopsis type-A arr mutants impede nematode development because they are primed to respond to pathogen infection. These results suggest that cytokinin signaling is required for optimal H. schachtii parasitism of Arabidopsis, but that elevated cytokinin signaling triggers a heightened immune response to nematode infection.
2015-11-18 | GSE72548 | GEO
Project description:Transcriptome Analyses of Reniform Nematode Pathogen Infection
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of P. pacificus young adult worms exposed to pathogen Staphylococcus aureus for 4 hours versus age-matched worms exposed to control lab food E. coli OP50. The goal was to identify genes regulated in response to pathogen. The broader goal of study was to study evolution of pathogen response by comparing this expression profile to that obtained by exposing the nematode C. elegans to the same pathogen. Other experiments which are a part of this study include expression profiling of C. elegans and P. pacificus on other pathogens including , Bacillus thuringiensis DB27, Serratia marcescens and Xenorhabdus nematophila.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of P. pacificus young adult worms exposed to pathogen Xenorhabdus nematophila for 4 hours versus age-matched worms exposed to control lab food E. coli OP50. The goal was to identify genes regulated in response to pathogen. The broader goal of study was to study evolution of pathogen response by comparing this expression profile to that obtained by exposing the nematode C. elegans to the same pathogen. Other experiments which are a part of this study include expression profiling of C. elegans and P. pacificus on other pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens and Xenorhabdus nematophila.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of C. elegans young adult worms exposed to pathogen Xenorhabdus nematophila for 4 hours versus age-matched worms exposed to control lab food E. coli OP50. The goal was to identify genes regulated in response to pathogen. The broader goal of study was to study evolution of pathogen response by comparing this expression profile to that obtained by exposing the nematode Pristionchus pacificus to the same pathogen. Other experiments which are a part of this study include expression profiling of C. elegans and P. pacificus on other pathogens including Bacillus thuringiensis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Serratia marcescens.