Nematode Communication with Plants is Surprisingly Complex and Multidimensional

Abstract

Over a century of nematology research has focused on plant parasites that establish intimate symbioses with their host plants, yet the molecular basis of this interaction remains largely unknown. Central to the lifecycle of these obligate parasites is their ability to manipulate host tissue into specialized and dedicated feeding sites. This process is predicated on the ability of the nematodes to interject signaling cues to exploit the developmental plasticity of the host. Recent evidence, including the availability of significant amounts of parasitic genome data, points to diverse interactions that underpin a complex communication network. In this chapter, we examine the hierarchy of these interactions and propose a framework for placing the interactions in a formal context of parasitic symbioses.