Epistasis between Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase Substitutions May Influence Salinity Tolerance in <i>Steinernema</i> Entomopathogenic Nematodes.

ABSTRACT: Soil salinity varies widely across geographies both due to natural factors and human activities, including agriculture, road salt application, sea level rise, and desertification. Increases in soil salinity may affect organisms widely and particularly impact soil foodwebs. As parasites, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) occupy crucial links in soil foodwebs and are important for agriculture as biological control agents of insect pests. Previous research found that the EPN Steinernema carpocapsae may exhibit higher salt tolerance than several of its congeners. We recently identified that S. carpocapsae uniquely evolved two amino acid substitutions in the first extracellular loop of the sodium pump (Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase). Here, we tested if these substitutions ex

SUBMITTER: Achi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12330588 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature