NRPS-like ATRR in Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Involved in Glycine Betaine Metabolism to Promote Parasitism

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are among the most serious phytopathogens and cause widespread and serious damage in major crops. In this study, using a genome mining method, we identified nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-like enzymes in genomes of plant-parasitic nematodes, which are conserved with two consecutive reducing domains at the N-terminus (A-T-R-R) and homologous to fungal NRPS-like ATRR. We experimentally investigated the roles of the NRPS-like enzyme (MiATRR) in nematode () parasitism. Heterologous expression of in can overcome the growth inhibition caused by high concentrations of glycine betaine. RT-qPCR detection shows that is significantly upregulated at the early parasitic life stage (J2s in plants) of . Host-derived RNA interference (RNAi) in can significantly decrease the number of galls and egg masses of , as well as retard development and reduce the body size of the nematode. Although exogenous glycine betaine and choline have no obvious impact on the survival of free-living J2s (pre-parasitic J2s), they impact the performance of the nematode in planta, especially in -RNAi plants. Following application of exogenous glycine betaine and choline in the rhizosphere soil of , the numbers of galls and egg masses were obviously reduced by glycine betaine but increased by choline. Based on the knowledge about the function of fungal NRPS-like ATRR and the roles of glycine betaine in host plants and nematodes, we suggest that MiATRR is involved in nematode-plant interaction by acting as a glycine betaine reductase, converting glycine betaine to choline. This may be a universal strategy in plant-parasitic nematodes utilizing NRPS-like ATRR to promote their parasitism on host plants.