Effect of host (Arabidopsis thaliana) delivered RNAi Splicing factor gene on the reproductive potential of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita)

Abstract

The southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita is the most widespread and economically important plant parasitic nematode. This obligate parasite is globally distributed can be found in different type of soils. Being polyphagous they have a host range of more than 3000 plant species. Plants affected by them shows both above and below ground symptoms. Yellowing, wilting, stunting are the above ground symptoms whereas galling on roots is the typical below ground symptom. Worldwide, plant parasitic nematodes account for $173 million loss annually [1] and since M. incognita is major plant parasitic nematode it does share a massive contribution in crop losses. Resistance development in host plants is an effective way of nematode control and it can be achieved by RNA interference (RNAi) which refers to development of immunity or resistance in host through post-transcriptional gene silencing of specific nematode genes. With this regard research was conducted to observe of effect of combinatorial host induced gene silencing (HIGs) on the reproductive potential of M. incognita on Arabidopsis. Splicing factor and integrase gene were targeted for silencing in M. incognita resulted in a decrement of egg mass from 80.27% to 82.18% as compared to the untransformed plants and with reduction in egg per egg mass by 70.27% as compared to the untransformed event.