title: Post-transcriptional gene silencing of root-knot nematode in transformed soybean roots.
abstract: RNAi constructs targeted to four different genes were examined to determine their efficacy to reduce galls formed by Meloidogyne incognita in soybean roots. These genes have high similarity with essential soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) and Caenorhabditis elegans genes. Transformed roots were challenged with M. incognita. Two constructs, targeted to genes encoding tyrosine phosphatase (TP) and mitochondrial stress-70 protein precursor (MSP), respectively, strongly interfered with M. incognita gall formation. The number of galls formed on roots transformed with constructs targeting the M. incognita TP and MSP genes was reduced by 92% and 94.7%, respectively. The diameter of M. incognita inside these transformed roots was 5.4 and 6.5 times less than the diameter of M. incognita found inside control plants transformed with the empty vector. These results indicate that silencing the genes encoding TP and MSP can greatly decrease gall formation and shows a promising solution for broadening resistance of plants against this plant-parasitic nematode.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Sciences Institute, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
authors.forename: Heba M M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Nadim W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Alkharouf
authors.forename: Susan L F
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Mohammed A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aly
authors.forename: Abd El Kader Y
authors.initials: Ael K
authors.lastname: Gamal El-Din
authors.forename: Ebtissam H A
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: Benjamin F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000469:parasitology; D010941:Plant Tumors / Q000469:parasitology*; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013025:Glycine max / Q000469:parasitology*; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases