Mi-DOG · The “parasitism-readers” of the world’s most damaging plant-parasitic nematode Meloidogyne incognita: new avenues to address food global security.

My proposal aims to understand how root-knot nematodes cause disease in the host plant. Understanding how these parasitic worms cause disease is important because they have a worldwide distribution, they infect thousands of different plant species, and ultimately they represent a major constraint on achieving food security in Europe and beyond.In this proposal I will link my expertise in root-knot nematodes at molecular and proteomic levels, with the host group expertise in the regulation of parasitism genes, to understand how the most economically damaging root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita successfully controls the process of plant-parasitism.My proposal builds on the recent discovery of a non-coding DNA motif that is specifically enriched in the promoter regions of approximately 100 genes expressed in the root-knot Meloidogyne incognita dorsal gland (named Mi-DOG box). This discovery leads to two important ideas: Firstly, given that many effector proteins produced in this gland are delivered into the plant during infection, the Mi-DOG promoter is probably involved in the regulation of parasitism. Secondly, being a non-coding DNA motif, the Mi-DOG box is probably recognized by an associated protein or protein complex, a “reader” that coordinates the expression of secreted parasitism proteins, and ultimately orchestrates the process of plant parasitism.In a formal connection between two world-class research institutions, the main objectives of my proposal are therefore to: 1) Identify the “readers” of Mi-DOG box using a combination of well-established and highly-innovative CRISPR-mediated methodologies, and 2) characterize the spatio-temporal expression pattern and functional role of these “readers” in M. incognita parasitism. Overall, my proposal describes a novel scientific approach to address an emerging area of great promise with considerable translational potential, and ultimately to open up my best career opportunities for the future.