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Publications (2)4.89 Total impact

  • Article: Characterization of a new beta-1,4-endoglucanase gene from the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and evolutionary scheme for phytonematode family 5 glycosyl hydrolases.
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    ABSTRACT: Cellulases from plant parasitic nematodes are encoded by multiple gene families and are thought to originate from horizontal gene transfer. Unraveling the evolution of these genes in the phylum will help understanding the evolution of plant parasitism in nematodes. Here we describe a new gene, named MI-eng-2, that encodes a family 5 glycosyl hydrolase (GHF5) with a predicted signal peptide and devoid of linker domain and cellulose-binding domain. The beta-1,4-endoglucanase activity of the protein MI-ENG-2 was confirmed in vitro and the transcription of the gene was localized in the secretory oesophageal glands of infective juveniles, suggesting that MI-ENG-2 is involved in plant cell wall degradation during parasitism. Phylogenetic and exon/intron structure analyses of beta-1,4-endoglucanase genes in the order Tylenchida strengthen the hypothesis that nematode GHF5 genes result from horizontal gene transfer of a bacterial gene with a cellulose-binding domain. GHF5 gene families in Tylenchida result from gene duplications associated with occasional loss of the cellulose-binding domain and the linker domain during their evolution.
    Gene 12/2006; 382:121-8. · 2.34 Impact Factor
  • Article: Direct identification of stylet secreted proteins from root-knot nematodes by a proteomic approach.
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    ABSTRACT: The stylet secretions produced by plant parasitic root-knot nematodes are thought to be pathogenicity factors involved in the invasion of the root tissue and in the induction and maintenance of feeding cells. A new procedure was established that allowed the direct qualitative analysis of proteins secreted by Meloidogyne incognita infective juveniles. Purified proteins whose isoelectric point (pI) ranged from 5.0 to 7.5 were separated by two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis and the seven most abundant proteins were identified by micro-sequencing. A calreticulin (CRT) was isolated and transcription of its gene in infective juveniles and adults was demonstrated. Moreover, evidence for expression of the CRT in the subventral oesophageal glands of infective juveniles was obtained. The potential roles of this secreted protein in pathogenesis and the advantages of developing this strategy to obtain new insights into plant-nematode interactions are discussed.
    Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 06/2002; 121(2):205-11. · 2.55 Impact Factor