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Title: IDENTIFICATION OF SOYBEAN CYST NEMATODE LETHAL GENES USING COMPUTATIONAL METHODS

Author
item ALKHAROUF, N - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item Klink, Vincent
item Matthews, Benjamin

Submitted to: Mid Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/30/2005
Publication Date: 8/30/2005
Citation: Alkharouf, N., Klink, V.P., Matthews, B.F. 2005. Identification of soybean cyst nematode lethal genes using computational methods [abstract]. Mid Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society Conference. Paper No. 24.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines) is a devastating pest of soybean causing one billion dollars in losses to the US economy per year and over ten billion worldwide. The genome sequence of SCN is not well characterized nor fully sequenced. On the other hand Caenorhabditis elegans genome is fully sequenced, well characterized and a number of lethal genes in C. elegans have been identified through experimental methods. C. elegans is a free living nematode while SCN is a sedentary root endoparasite, but both worms are homologous to each other in structure. We downloaded all the known C. elegans genes into a database and used it to blast approximately 1300 SCN known genes against it. We identified a number of SCN lethal genes through this simple yet effective method that have high homology to C. elegans lethal genes. These candidate genes will be used as RNAi targets to neutralize SCN and limit it’s infection of soybean. An automated pipeline was developed for this purpose and is available upon request.