Journal of Nematology (2005) 37, 377-378

Kris N. Lambert, S. Bekal, V.V. Lozovaya and A.V. Lygin (2005)
A biochemical and molecular analysis of soybean roots expressing root-knot nematode chorismate mutases
Journal of Nematology 37 (3), 377-378
44th Annual Meeting, Society of Nematologists, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 9-13 July, 2005
Abstract: Meloidogyne javanica chorismate mutases (Mj-cm) are proteins secreted by plant parasitic nematodes into plant tissues as the parasite establishes its association with its host. CM are enzymes in the shikimate pathway, a primary plant metabolic route that produces aromatic amino acids and numerous secondary phenolic compounds that control critical plant processes. The shikimate pathway does not exist in animals, but some plant parasitic nematodes secrete CM into the plant tissue presumably to manipulate the regulation of the plant pathway to benefit the nematode. Nematode CM could alter plant cell development, cell wall structure, or they could suppress host plant resistance responses. Transgenic soybean hairy roots expressing Mj-cm were analyzed for their composition of phenolic compounds using HPLC. In hairy roots expressing Mj-cm a general suppression of phenolic metabolism was observed; however, one phenolic compound increased dramatically upon Mj-cm induction. This metabolic profiling data suggests that the Mj-cm enzyme suppresses the synthesis of phenolics in plants, possibly by diverting the flow of the shikimate pathway though a different metabolic route. The implications of this shikimate pathway suppression are broad, but one consequence should be an increase in susceptibility to disease by plants expressing Mj-cm. To test this hypothesis, we infiltrated tomato leaves with Agrobacterium with or without Mj-cm in a plant binary vector. Tomato leaves infiltrated with Agrobacterium alone showed a rapid cell death response, but Agrobacterium caring Mj-cm, did not elicit a cell death response. This result suggests Mj-cm is capable of suppressing a pathogen induced plant defense response, implying Mj-cm-1 could play a similar role in plant/nematode interactions.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Kris N. Lambert, Vera V. Lozovaya

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Meloidogyne javanica