Signaling between nematodes and plants.
After hatching in the soil, root-knot nematodes must locate and penetrate a root, migrate into the vascular cylinder, and establish a permanent feeding site. Presumably, these events are accompanied by extensive signaling between the nematode parasite and the host. Hence, much emphasis has been placed on identifying proteins that are secreted by the nematode during the migratory phase. Further progress in understanding the signaling events has been made recently by studying the host response. Striking parallels can be drawn between the nematode-plant interaction and plant symbioses with other microorganisms, and evidence is emerging to suggest that nematodes acquired components of their parasitic armory from those microbes.
Bird
David McK
DM
Center for the Biology of Nematode Parasitism, Box 7253 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7253, USA. david_bird@ncsu.edu
D000818:Animals; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D009348:Nematoda / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D015398:Signal Transduction