Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs; <i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.) are significant plant–parasitic nematodes that cause major yield losses worldwide. With growing awareness of the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment, there is an urgent need to develop alternative...

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Main Authors: Himanshu Yadav, Philip A. Roberts, Damar Lopez-Arredondo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1321
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author Himanshu Yadav
Philip A. Roberts
Damar Lopez-Arredondo
author_facet Himanshu Yadav
Philip A. Roberts
Damar Lopez-Arredondo
author_sort Himanshu Yadav
collection DOAJ
description Root-knot nematodes (RKNs; <i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.) are significant plant–parasitic nematodes that cause major yield losses worldwide. With growing awareness of the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment, there is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies for controlling RKN in agricultural fields. In recent years, implementing multiple approaches based on transcriptomics, genomics, and genome engineering, including modern platforms like CRISPR/Cas9, along with traditional genetic mapping, has led to great advances in understanding the plant–RKN interactions and the underlying molecular mechanisms of plant RKN resistance. In this literature review, we synthesize the contributions of relevant studies in this field and discuss key findings. This includes, for instance, transcriptomics studies that helped expand our understanding of plant RKN-resistance mechanisms, the overexpression of plant hormone-related genes, and the silencing of susceptibility genes that lead to plant RKN resistance. This review was conducted by searching scientific sources, including PubMed and Google Scholar, for relevant publications and filtering them using keywords such as RKN–plant defense mechanisms, host–plant resistance against RKN, and genetic mapping for RKN. This knowledge can be leveraged to accelerate the development of RKN-resistant plants and substantially improve RKN management in economically important crops.
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spelling doaj-art-6373b844ec4c4ab78de1a5bac3d6fcd62025-08-20T02:31:03ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-04-01149132110.3390/plants14091321Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant CropsHimanshu Yadav0Philip A. Roberts1Damar Lopez-Arredondo2Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USADepartment of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USAInstitute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USARoot-knot nematodes (RKNs; <i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.) are significant plant–parasitic nematodes that cause major yield losses worldwide. With growing awareness of the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment, there is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies for controlling RKN in agricultural fields. In recent years, implementing multiple approaches based on transcriptomics, genomics, and genome engineering, including modern platforms like CRISPR/Cas9, along with traditional genetic mapping, has led to great advances in understanding the plant–RKN interactions and the underlying molecular mechanisms of plant RKN resistance. In this literature review, we synthesize the contributions of relevant studies in this field and discuss key findings. This includes, for instance, transcriptomics studies that helped expand our understanding of plant RKN-resistance mechanisms, the overexpression of plant hormone-related genes, and the silencing of susceptibility genes that lead to plant RKN resistance. This review was conducted by searching scientific sources, including PubMed and Google Scholar, for relevant publications and filtering them using keywords such as RKN–plant defense mechanisms, host–plant resistance against RKN, and genetic mapping for RKN. This knowledge can be leveraged to accelerate the development of RKN-resistant plants and substantially improve RKN management in economically important crops.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1321<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.root-knot nematodesplant defense systemmolecular breedingomicsgenetic engineering
spellingShingle Himanshu Yadav
Philip A. Roberts
Damar Lopez-Arredondo
Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops
Plants
<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.
root-knot nematodes
plant defense system
molecular breeding
omics
genetic engineering
title Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops
title_full Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops
title_fullStr Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops
title_full_unstemmed Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops
title_short Combating Root-Knot Nematodes (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.): From Molecular Mechanisms to Resistant Crops
title_sort combating root knot nematodes i meloidogyne i spp from molecular mechanisms to resistant crops
topic <i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.
root-knot nematodes
plant defense system
molecular breeding
omics
genetic engineering
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1321
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AT philiparoberts combatingrootknotnematodesimeloidogyneisppfrommolecularmechanismstoresistantcrops
AT damarlopezarredondo combatingrootknotnematodesimeloidogyneisppfrommolecularmechanismstoresistantcrops