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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-292 - Root-knot nematode effectors target the plant alternative splicing machinery to enable giant cell formation

Thursday, July 17, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Plant Interactions with nematodes & parasitic plants

    Presenting Author(s)

  • BF

    Bruno Favery

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

    • Author(s)

  • SR

    Sarah RANTY-ROBY

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

  • JM

    Joffrey Mejias

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

  • PL

    Piao LEI

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

  • SS

    Salomé Soulé

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

  • YC

    Yongpan Chen

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

  • MC

    Martin Crespi

    Institute of Plant Sciences Paris -Saclay (IPS2), CNRS, INRAE, Universités Paris Saclay - Evry, Université de Paris
    Gif sur Yvette, Ile-de-France, France

  • JB

    Jérémie Bazin

    Institute of Plant Sciences Paris -Saclay (IPS2), CNRS, INRAE, Universités Paris Saclay - Evry, Université de Paris
    Gif sur Yvette, Ile-de-France, France

  • JZ

    Jianlong Zhao

    State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
    Beijing, Beijing, China (People's Republic)

  • MQ

    Michaël Quentin

    INRAE, Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, ISA
    Sophia Antipolis, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are obligate endoparasites that establish a biotrophic relationship with host plants. To manipulate root cells, they secrete effectors from their esophageal glands that are delivered into the host via a stylet. These effectors target distinct subcellular compartments and induce the redifferentiation of root cells into multinucleate giant cells essential for nematode development. We characterised MiEFF18, a nuclear-targeted effector that accumulates in the host cell nucleolus. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified its interaction with a core nuclear spliceosomal protein, SmD1. Functional analyses revealed the critical role of this target in plant susceptibility to RKNs, specifically in giant cell formation. We showed that MiEFF18 alters alternative splicing, a key post-transcriptional process that generates multiple mRNA isoforms from a single gene. A complementary screening approach identified MiEFF186 as an additional effector involved in the regulation of alternative splicing. MiEFF186 interacts with a tomato splicing factor, further highlighting the role of RKN effectors in manipulating host gene expression. This study reveals a novel nematode strategy for subverting plant nuclear and nucleolar functions and alternative splicing mechanisms, and provides insights into how RKNs exploit host cellular machinery to establish and maintain their feeding sites.