Biochemical characterization of Medicago truncatula root knots induced by Meloidogyne incognita

Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are microscopic endoparasites that infect a broad range of host plants. The goal of this project was to identify protein components of the plant cell wall that are important in root knot formation. The characteristic root knot results from the differentiation of vascular parenchyma into specialized giant cells, as well as the proliferation of adjacent cortical and pericycle cells. The multinucleate giant cells serve as permanent feeding sites within the root and provide nourishment for the developing nematode. Plant cell surface rearrangement occurs during giant cell formation; therefore, I hypothesize these changes are required for the development of giant cells and, thus, are necessary for disease progression. To better study the plant-nematode interaction, a root culture method was developed as a model system for biochemical purification. Using this experimental technique, proteomic analysis was performed to determine how the plant cell wall protein composition changed during the infection process.