Mechanisms underlying extreme dormancy in potato cyst nematodes

This is one of the funded projects for our 2025 Undergraduate vacation bursary, click here to return to the list of 15 projects.

This project is going to be…	Experimental (lab/field based)
Institute	University of Leeds
Project supervisor	Dr. Catherine Lilley
Title of Project	Mechanisms underlying extreme dormancy in potato cyst nematodes
Date of Project Commencement	16 June 2025
Duration (weeks)	7
Brief Description of Project	Plant-parasitic nematodes represent one of the major biotic constraints in agriculture. In the UK, potato cyst nematode (PCN) occurs in 65% of potato land and its control represents the largest variable cost for many UK potato growers. It is an obligate pathogen with a narrow host range that coordinates its lifecycle with the presence of its host.Potato cyst nematodes exhibit remarkable longevity, with dormant juveniles within cysts able to remain viable in the soil for more than 20 years in the absence of a host plant. This ability contributes significantly to the agricultural importance of these nematodes as long rotation cycles are necessary to keep field populations below the economic threshold. There is a strong selection pressure to ensure that extending life span in dormancy does not allow cumulative damage to DNA, proteins and lipids that compromises subsequent vigour. Potato cyst nematodes must therefore have incredibly efficient systems to counteract such damage, but the molecular and biochemical mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In a survey of PCN from field sites across England we found that some populations were especially long-lived, with their viability declining much slower than expected. This finding has important implications for control of PCN and provides new impetus to investigate the basic processes that protect the animal during dormancy.In this project, based in the Plant Nematology Group at the University of Leeds, the student will analyse the role of candidate genes that we predict are involved in protection against cellular damage. Our transcriptomic analysis highlights significant up-regulation of genes involved in protection from oxidative stress as the nematode enters dormancy. The focus will be the superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene family that appears to be expanded in PCN. The complete repertoire of PCN SOD genes will be determined from the available genome resources, their expression analysed and RNAi used for transcript knock-down to determine their role in development and in protection against a range of stressors. The student will experience a range of research, spanning computer-, lab- and glasshouse-based work with both plants and animals and the balance can be tailored to their interests. They will gain expertise in molecular skills such as qPCR and in situ hybridisation to analyse gene expression. As fully integrated members of the group, they can learn about our other research on different aspects of Plant Nematology and take part in lab social activities.Recommended reading for the project Price, J.A., Coyne, D, Blok, V.C. & Jones, J.T. (2021) Potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida. Molecular Plant Pathology 22:495–507. DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13047.Orlando, V. & Boa, E. (2023) Potato cyst nematodes: A persistent and fearsome foe. Plant Pathology. 72:1541–1556. DOI: 10.1111/ppa.13779.