Environmental News Network - Disrupting ‘Communication’ With Plants Could Limit Soybean Cyst Nematode Infections

Environmental News Network - Disrupting ‘Communication’ With Plants Could Limit Soybean Cyst Nematode Infections

Targeting a newly discovered vulnerability in the signals that cyst nematodes use to infect plant roots could be a powerful method for reducing the damage the parasitic worms cause in crops such as soybeans, according to a study co-authored by an Iowa State University professor.

Study Finds Molecular Breakthrough in Soybean Cyst Nematode Research

Scientists have identified a new vulnerability in cyst nematodes’ communication with plant roots that could reduce the damage these parasites cause in soybeans and other crops, according to a study co-authored by an Iowa State University professor. Researchers have pinpointed a single protein that appears to regulate dozens of chemical signals — known as effectors — used by cyst nematodes to manipulate plant cells and create a feeding site. Thes…