Plant metabolomics for the control of the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans

Root lesion nematodes (RLN) of the genus Pratylenchus are a serious issue in worldwide crop protection and productivity. Pratylenchus penetrans, one of the most detrimental RLN species, greatly reduces the production in numerous important agronomic crops (e.g. corn, potato), ornamental plants (e.g. lily, roses) and fruit trees (e.g. almond, cherry orchards) (. In the European Union), it was recently listed in the EU regulation 2016/2031-Annex IV as a regulated non-quarantine pest A2. In the EU, P. penetrans has been reported as the most damaging species associated with potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). In Portugal, this species was also detected in potato production fields across the country and often related with their low yield. The effective control of RLN is limited due to the lack of natural resistant varieties. Plant secondary metabolites from resistant cultivars to plant-parasitic nematodes can mediate plant host resistance and be considered as promising targets for the control of RLN. 

Plant metabolomics is an emerging approach to the study of crop resistance in response to PPN infection (16), which can be applied to expedite traditional crop breeding programs and the development of novel pesticides. The project PratyOmics aims: (i) to compare global metabolomic profiling of resistant and susceptible potato cultivars in response to P. penetrans infection for the identification of host resistant-induced plant secondary metabolites (PSM) with potential anti-nematode activity; (ii) to evaluate the nematicidal bioactivity of the candidate PSM against P. penetrans; and (iii) to understand the mechanism of action of the most promising PSM by transcription profiling of nematode affected nematode molecular pathways, which can be translate into targets for the development of new effective nematode control strategies.