Plant Nematode Interaction and Omics: A Focus On Meloidogyne incognita

Root knot nematodes (RKNs) are obligate parasites present in soil which belongs to the genus Meloidogyne. Meloidogyne spp. consists of 90 species having a wide range of crop plants as their host. M. incognita is an important pest which drastically lowers crop quality and yield. A substantial portion of vegetables in Solanaceae family contribute to food security with high nutrient value. Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most important vegetables in India as it has numerous nutritional as well as medicinal properties. Eggplant, although being affected by a number of pests, has been reported to suffer significant losses by M. incognita attack. There are various interactions between RNKs and host plant which are responsible for the establishment and proliferation of disease. The specific proteins were secreted from the pharyngeal glands of RKNs which interact with the plant receptors to turn on gene expression cascades that alter cell development causing essential metabolic reprogramming of the cells. The molecular interactions between host and pathogen are mediated by calreticulin, which are calcium binding proteins and act as chaperone. There is a need to control the pathogen in the face of rising food demand, climate change and use of chemical nematicides. Furthermore, omics technologies is a group of efficient molecular techniques that have reformed biological research and permit researchers to have an in depth understanding of molecular mechanisms behind a wide range of biological processes. The utilization of omics technique could be the promising approach for the future management of RKNs. Hence, the current review emphasizes on host pathogen interactions and omics as an efficient technique that can help researchers to devise biotechnology-based tools to control RKNs.