Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40112263›Full record

ArticlePlant physiology2025

Root-knot nematode infection enhances the performance of a specialist root herbivore via plant-mediated interactions.

Axel J Touw, Nhu Tran, Andreas Schedl, Jessil A Pajar, Cong Van Doan, Henriette Uthe, Nicole M van Dam

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Plant physiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Axel J TouwPlant Biotic Interactions, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, D-14979 Großbeeren, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5923-7457
Nhu TranMolecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8028-3829
Andreas SchedlMolecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2472-7322
Jessil A PajarPlant Biotic Interactions, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, D-14979 Großbeeren, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0766-7310
Cong Van DoanPlant Biotic Interactions, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, D-14979 Großbeeren, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9189-1301
Henriette UtheMolecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2523-196X
Nicole M van DamPlant Biotic Interactions, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, D-14979 Großbeeren, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2622-5446

Funding

German Research Foundation (DFG) 202548816German Research Foundation (DFG) FZT 118
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Herbivores sharing host plants are often temporally and spatially separated, limiting direct interactions between them. Nevertheless, as observed in numerous aboveground study systems, they can reciprocally influence each other via systemically induced plant responses. In contrast, examples of such plant-mediated interactions between belowground herbivores are scarce; however, we postulated that they similarly occur, given the large diversity of root-interacting soil organisms. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the performance of cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) larvae feeding on the main roots of field mustard (Brassica rapa) plants whose fine roots were infected by the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita). Simultaneously, we studied the effects of M. incognita on D. radicum-induced defense responses and the accumulation of primary metabolites in the main root. We observed that almost 1.5 times as many D. radicum adults emerged from nematode-infected plants, indicating a facilitation effect of M. incognita infection. Although we observed increases in the accumulation of proteins and 2 essential amino acids, the strongest effect of nematode infection was visible in the defense response to D. radicum. We observed a 1.5 times higher accumulation of the defense-related phytohormone JA-Ile in response to D. radicum on nematode-infected plants, coinciding with a 75% increase in indole glucosinolate concentrations. Contrastingly, concentrations of aliphatic glucosinolates, secondary metabolites negatively affecting D. radicum, were 10% to 25% lower in nematode-infected plants. We hypothesize that the attenuated aliphatic glucosinolate concentrations result from antagonistic interactions between biosynthetic pathways of both glucosinolate classes, which was reflected in the expression of key biosynthesis genes. Our results provide explicit evidence of plant-mediated interactions between belowground organisms, likely via systemically induced responses in roots.

Indexed as

Brassica rapaDipteraHerbivoryPlant DiseasesPlant RootsTylenchoideaAnimalsGlucosinolatesHost-Parasite InteractionsLarvaGlucosinolates

Identifiers

PMID40112263
PMCPMC12395341

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.