Authors

Discussion

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) seriously threaten global food security. It is estimated that they are responsible for a 12.3% reduction in agricultural productivity worldwide which equates to $120 billion annually. Conventionally, an integrated approach to PPN management has relied heavily on various nematicides. As environmental concerns rise over the systemic effects of sustained nematicide use, withdrawal has left a significant shortcoming in our ability to manage this problem and highlights the need for novel and robust control methods. It has been discovered that nematodes can assimilate exogenous peptides through retrograde transport along the chemosensory amphid neurons. These peptides accumulate within cells of the central nerve ring and can elicit physiological effects when released to interact with receptors on adjoining cells. We are harnessing bioactive neuropeptides from the neuropeptide-like protein (NLP) family of plant parasitic nematodes as novel nematicides. We have identified numerous discrete neuropeptides that negatively impact chemosensation, stylet thrusting and infectivity of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, and of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida. Transgenic secretion of these peptides from the rhizobacterium, Bacillus subtilis, and the terrestrial microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reduce plant infection levels by up to 90% when compared with controls.