THE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE MELOIDOGYNE CHITWOODI IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON POTATO BECAUSE INFECTION MAKES THE TUBERS UNMARKETABLE. FUMIGANTS PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES, BUT DUE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, GROWERS ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES FOR NEMATODE CONTROL. SINCE A RESISTANCE-BREAKING NEMATODE PATHOTYPE HAS OVERCOME SINGLE GENE RESISTANCE IN POTATO, COMBINATORIAL APPROACHES WILL LEAD TO IDENTIFYING MORE SUSTAINABLE CONTROL MEASURES. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL TAKE FOR A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH TOWARDS GENERATING RESISTANT POTATOES - ENHANCING NATURAL PLANT DEFENSES AND TARGETING PLANT SUSCEPTIBILITY PROCESSES. TO ENHANCE NATURAL DEFENSES, WE WILL INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF CALLOSE DEPOSITION IN THE PLANT/ROOT-KNOT-NEMATODE INTERACTION. CALLOSE IS CREATED BY THE PLANT TO HELP STRENGTHEN THEIR CELL WALLS AND KEEP OUT PATHOGEN INVADERS. WE PREDICT THAT BY MODIFYING THE PLANTS ABILITY TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CELLS WALL, WE CAN ENHANCE NEMATODE RESISTANCE IN POTATOES. IN THE SECOND PART THE PROPOSAL, WE WILL STUDY M. CHITWOODI EFFECTORS. EFFECTORS ARE PROTEINS SECRETED BY THE NEMATODE THAT FACILITATE PARASITISM. WE WILL IDENTIFY NOVEL M. CHITWOODI EFFECTORS AND THEN USE THEM AS MOLECULAR PROBES TO IDENTIFY THEIR PLANT INTERACTION TARGETS. BY TEASING APART THE COMPLEX INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE AND POTATO PLANTS, WE HOPE TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUSCEPTIBILITY PROCESSES. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USEFUL FOR GENE EDITING AND NEMATODE RESISTANCE BREEDING PROGRAMS.

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators