03276naa a2200385 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000210006024501530008126000090023452021460024365000200238965000240240965000260243365000150245965000110247465300340248565300140251965300250253365300380255865300160259665300270261265300220263970000200266170000170268170000210269870000200271970000160273970000210275570000180277670000230279470000210281770000200283877300320285821470692023-01-13       2022    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aMOREIRA, V. J. V  aMinc03328 effector gene down regulation severely affects Meloidogyne incognita parasitism in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.h[electronic resource]  c2022  aMinc03328 effector gene downregulation triggered by in planta RNAi strategy strongly reduced plant susceptibility to Meloidogyne incognita and suggests that Minc03328 gene is a promising target for the development of genetically engineered crops to improve plant tolerance to M. incognita. Meloidogyne incognita is the most economically important species of root-knot nematodes (RKN) and causes severe damage to crops worldwide. M. incognita secretes several effector proteins to suppress the host plant defense response, and manipulate the plant cell cycle and other plant processes facilitating its parasitism. Different secreted effector proteins have already been identified in M. incognita, but not all have been characterized or have had the confirmation of their involvement in nematode parasitism in their host plants. Herein, we characterized the Minc03328 (Minc3s00020g01299) effector gene, confirmed its higher expression in the early stages of M. incognita parasitism in plants, as well as the accumulation of the Minc03328 effector protein in subventral glands and its secretion. We also discuss the potential for simultaneous downregulation of its paralogue Minc3s00083g03984 gene. Using the in planta RNA interference strategy, Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) were generated to specifically targeting and downregulating the Minc03328 gene during nematode parasitism. Transgenic Minc03328-dsRNA lines that significantly downregulated Minc03328 gene expression during M. incognita parasitism were significantly less susceptible. The number of galls, egg masses, and [galls/egg masses] ratio were reduced in these transgenic lines by up to 85%, 90%, and 87%, respectively. Transgenic Minc03328-dsRNA lines showed the presence of fewer and smaller galls, indicating that parasitism was hindered. Overall, data herein strongly suggest that Minc03328 effector protein is important for M. incognita parasitism establishment. As well, the in planta Minc03328-dsRNA strategy demonstrated high biotechnological potential for developing crop species that could efficiently control RKN in the field.  aPlants (botany)  aRoot-knot nematodes  aMeloidogyne Incognita  aNematóide  aPlanta  aInteração planta-nematóide  aMinc03328  aNematoide das galhas  aNovas ferramentas biotecnológica  aPlanta RNAi  aProteção de cultivos  aProteína efetora1 aLOURENCO, I. T.1 aBASSO, M. F.1 aSÁ. M. E. L. de1 aMORGANTE, C. V.1 aMELO, B. P.1 aARRAES, F. B. M.1 aSÁ, D. M. de1 aSILVA, M. C. M. da1 aENGLER, J. de A.1 aSA, M. F. G. de  tPlantagv. 255, n. 2, 2022.