A parasitic nematode releases cytokinin that controls cell division and orchestrates feeding site formation in host plants.

ABSTRACT: Sedentary plant-parasitic cyst nematodes are biotrophs that cause significant losses in agriculture. Parasitism is based on modifications of host root cells that lead to the formation of a hypermetabolic feeding site (a syncytium) from which nematodes withdraw nutrients. The host cell cycle is activated in an initial cell selected by the nematode for feeding, followed by activation of neighboring cells and subsequent expansion of feeding site through fusion of hundreds of cells. It is generally assumed that nematodes manipulate production and signaling of the plant hormone cytokinin to activate cell division. In fact, nematodes have been shown to produce cytokinin in vitro; however, whether the hormone is secreted into host plants and plays a role in parasitism remained unknown. Here, we a

SUBMITTER: Siddique S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4611629 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature