The Expressed Parasitism Genes in the Reniform Nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis)

The reniform nematode (RN), Rotylenchulus reniformis, is an agriculturally important pest with a broad host range that results in a large economic impact in tropical, subtropical and in warm temperate zones. In an initial effort to understand the transcriptome and gene expression in RN, we present EST results that reveal numerous putative parasitism-related genes some of which play roles in plant cell wall modification. The characterized contigs included 8362 (40.6%) matches to unique proteins. Coding contigs predicted were 10,656 (51.7%) or 3079 (14.9%), that was similar to those identified in Brugia malayi and Caenorhabditis elegans as reference organisms respectively. Specific transcripts studied in more detail include putative plant parasitism genes, prominent among them were several plant cell wall modification genes. Contigs matching 14 parasitism genes found in sedentary endoparasitic nematodes included expansins, hexosaminidase, glycosyl hydrolases family, 14-3-3 protein, xylanases, glutathione peroxidase, pectate lyase, β-1,4-endoglucanase, major sperm protein, aminopeptidase, c-type lectin, chitin synthase, FMR famide-like peptide, and calreticulin. These genes function in suppression of host defenses and development of feeding sites.