Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41554884›Full record

ArticleNature plants2026

Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita uses secondary-metabolite-mediated soil microbiome shifts to locate host plants.

Zhenwei Wu, Zilin Liu, Wenjie Wang, Shiyuan Zhang, Allen Yi-Lun Tsai, Jose L Lozano-Torres, Shinichiro Sawa, Liqun Zhang, Songcan Chen, Xiaofei Lv and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature plants, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Spatial heterogeneity of the microbiota inFrontiers in plant science · 2026
    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

13 authors.

Zhenwei Wu *State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Zilin Liu *State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Wenjie Wang *Department of Plant Pathology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Shiyuan ZhangState Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Allen Yi-Lun TsaiGraduate School of Science & Technology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Jose L Lozano-TorresLaboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0021-5947
Shinichiro SawaGraduate School of Science & Technology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-9309-9104
Liqun ZhangDepartment of Plant Pathology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Songcan ChenState Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Xiaofei LvDepartment of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China.
Matthias ErbInstitute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Jianming XuState Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2954-9764
Lingfei HuState Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. lingfeihu@zju.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-7791-9440

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation) LR25D010001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive soil-dwelling pests, posing severe threats to global agriculture. However, the interplay between plant metabolites, rhizosphere microorganisms and their potential role in guiding pathogenic nematodes to their hosts remains poorly understood. Here we explored this gap by investigating the role of benzoxazinoids (BXs), a class of defensive metabolites of maize plants, in influencing the host-seeking behaviour of root-knot nematodes (RKNs). Our findings revealed that, surprisingly, BXs secreted by maize roots, particularly 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one, not only enhance RKN infection but also serve as powerful attractants. Remarkably, BX effects were observed only in the presence of a soil matrix. Further analysis demonstrated that 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one modulates the abundance and composition of rhizosphere bacteria, which in turn play a crucial role in RKN attraction and infection. We discovered that rhizosphere bacteria of BX-producing plants emit volatile compounds such as methyl ketones and 2-phenylethanol, which are then used by RKNs to locate host plants. RKNs detect these volatiles through chemosensory genes, including Mi-odr-1, Mi-odr-7 and Mi-gpa-6. Our study provides mechanistic insights into how RKNs use secondary-metabolite-shaped plant-microbe interactions to enhance their host-seeking behaviour and maximize their performance.

Indexed as

BenzoxazinesPlant DiseasesPlant RootsTylenchoideaAnimalsHordeumOryzaRhizosphereSoil MicrobiologyZea maysBenzoxazines

Identifiers

PMID41554884

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

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.