Characterisation of the processes of nutrient flow from a host plant to a parasitic nematode

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Cyst nematodes are small with a length of only 0.5mm but there can be thousands of millions in one hectare of field soil. Each nematodes moves from the soil into the roots of its host crop plant. Once inside the plant it loses the ability to move and feeds at just one place. Approximately 75 % of the nematode population becomes female. Females feed for about 8 weeks growing to about 1000 times their original size and laying up to 700 eggs. They modify one plant cell. This provides all the nematode's food for several weeks. This cell is highly specialised structure and transport nutrients from the plant flow though this cell to the feeding nematode. We have identified the plant molecules that transport the essential nutrients the feeding nematode needs. This project will define how these molecules are distributed around the specialsed plant cell that gathers nutrients to supply to the nematode parasite. We will determine how the walls of this cell are changed to allow it to merge with other cells, grow in size and also support the flow of nutrients through it to the feeding nematode. We will use antibodies designed to recognise components of the cell wall to understand the structure of the wall of this cell. The nematode must ensure its feeding does not kill the plant cell from which it feeds. If that happened the nematode would die. The nematode makes a feeding tube that has holes all the way along its length, not just at the end. We will find out if this allows the nematode to feed by without damaging the internal structure of the plant cell. If the nematode took the contents of the cell through just a single hole in the feeding tube (like a straw) the cell might be badly damaged. We want to understand how these plant parasites feed from plant cells. No other animals feed in this way. Nematodes damage many crop plants throughout the world. Cyst nematodes cause losses of approximately £43 million each year just to UK potato crops. This new knowledge may help to find a way to stop the nematodes from feeding. This would protect plants from the damage they cause. Currently farmers often use pesticides that harm the environment and can damage the health of farm workers. We have shown before that new knowledge can help develop better ways of controlling nematodes in the future.