Host-mediated RNAi of a Notch-like receptor gene inMeloidogyne incognitainduces nematode resistance

Abstract

AbstractGLP-1 (abnormal germline proliferation) is a Notch-like receptor protein that plays an essential role in pharyngeal development. In this study, an orthologue ofCaenorhabditis elegans glp-1was identified inMeloidogyne incognita. A computational analysis revealed that the orthologue contained almost all the domains present in theC. elegansgene: specifically, the LIN-12/Notch repeat, the ankyrin repeat, a transmembrane domain and different ligand-binding motifs were present in orthologue, but the epidermal growth factor-like motif was not observed. An expression analysis showed differential expression ofglp-1throughout the life cycle ofM. incognita, with relatively higher expression in the egg stage. To evaluate the silencing efficacy ofMi-glp-1, transgenicArabidopsisplants carrying double-stranded RNA constructs ofglp-1were generated, and infection of these plants withM. incognitaresulted in a 47–50% reduction in the numbers of galls, females and egg masses. Females obtained from the transgenic RNAi lines exhibited 40–60% reductions in the transcript levels of the targetedglp-1gene compared with females isolated from the control plants. Second-generation juveniles (J2s), which were descendants of the infected females from the transgenic lines, showed aberrant phenotypes. These J2s exhibited a significant decrease in the overall distance from the stylet to the metacorpus region, and this effect was accompanied by disruption around the metacorporeal bulb of the pharynx. The present study suggests a role for this gene in organ (pharynx) development during embryogenesis inM. incognitaand its potential use as a target in the management of nematode infestations in plants.