title: Nuclear receptor nhr-48 is required for pathogenicity of the second stage (J2) of the plant parasite Meloidogyne incognita.
abstract: Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a diverse class of transcription factors, which are involved in regulating a large number of physiological events in metazoans. However, the function of NRs is poorly understood in plant-parasitic nematodes. Here, members of the NR1J+K group of NRs in nematodes, including the free-living and plant parasites, were examined and phylogenetically analyzed. We found that the number of members of the NR1J+K group in plant-parasitic nematodes was less than that in the free-living nematodes, suggesting this reduction of NR1J+K group members in plant parasites maybe arose during the separation of the free-living and intermediately plant parasitic nematodes (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). Interestingly, the DNA-binding domain (DBD) and ligand-binding domain (LBD) of NR1J+K members were separated into two gene locations in the plant parasites. Knockdown of Meloidogyne incognita WBMinc13296, the ortholog of Caenorhabditis elegans nhr-48 DBD, reduced infectivity, delayed development, and decreased reproductivity. J2 of M. incognita subjected to silencing of WBMinc13295, the orthologs of B. xylophilus nhr-48 LBD, exhibited developmental lag within the host and reduced reproductivity. This study provides new insights into the function of NRs and suggests that NRs are potential targets for developing effective strategies for biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
authors.forename: Chao-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.
authors.forename: Bao-Yu
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang, Guizhou 550081, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Gang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
authors.forename: Ke-Qin
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D019295:Computational Biology; D005260:Female; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000469:parasitology; D010944:Plants / Q000469:parasitology; D020543:Proteome; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear