Abstract EN:

Root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne sp. , are obligate biotrophic parasites that maintain a compatible interaction with their host during the 5-8 weeks and induce the differentiation of parenchyma root cells into hypertrophied and polynucleated feeding cells that provide the nematode with the nutrients necessary for development and reproduction. The interaction plant-Meloidogyne incognita, whose genome was recently sequenced, provides a fascinating model for studying fundamental aspects of parasitism success. The nematode effectors produced in the esophageal glands and secreted via the stylet in the plant tissues play a major role in this interaction. I identified in M. Incognita three new effectors specifically expressed during the early steps of the interaction. Among them, two are encoded by pioneer genes with no homolog in databanks and one is a putative metallopeptidase. The two pioneer effectors EFF14 and EFF25 localized respectively in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of tobacco cells after heterologous expression. The calreticulin Mi-CRT, an effector previously identified in the group, is secreted in the apoplasm of giant cells. In this work, the functional analysis of EFF14 and Mi-CRT showed that the two effectors are able to suppress plant basal defenses. The current hypothesis is that Mi-CRT is modulating calcium signaling in the apoplasm whereas EFF14 is active in the nucleus for plant defense suppression. This work provides the first demonstration that a nematode effector is targeted to the nucleus of infected cells and the first functional characterization of plant defense suppression by nematode effectors. This work shows that a panel of effectors active in different compartments of plant cells contributes to the success of infection.