Co-option of an Astacin Metalloprotease Is Associated with an Evolutionarily Novel Feeding Morphology in a Predatory Nematode.

ABSTRACT: Animals consume a wide variety of food sources to adapt to different environments. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the acquisition of evolutionarily novel feeding morphology remain largely unknown. While the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans feeds on bacteria, the satellite species Pristionchus pacificus exhibits predatory feeding behavior toward other nematodes, which is an evolutionarily novel feeding habit. Here, we found that the astacin metalloprotease Ppa-NAS-6 is required for the predatory killing by P. pacificus. Ppa-nas-6 mutants were defective in predation-associated characteristics, specifically the tooth morphogenesis and tooth movement during predation. Comparison of expression patterns and rescue experiments of nas-6 in P. pacificus and C. elegans suggested that alte

SUBMITTER: Ishita Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10753534 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature