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Nematode-trapping fungi eavesdrop on nematode pheromones
Yen-Ping Hsueh1, Parag Mahanti, Frank C Schroeder
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|December 19, 2012
Summary
Soil fungi can detect nematode chemical signals called ascarosides to hunt prey. These signals trigger fungi to form traps, demonstrating predator-prey coevolution and eavesdropping on chemical communication.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Predator-prey interactions are shaped by molecular pattern recognition.
- Nematodes produce conserved small molecules, ascarosides, regulating their development and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if nematophagous fungi detect and respond to ascarosides.
- To determine the role of ascarosides in fungal trap formation and predator-prey dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Studied the response of nematophagous fungi to ascarosides.
- Observed fungal trap formation under nutrient-deprived conditions.
- Analyzed ascaroside-induced morphogenesis across fungal species.
Main Results:
- Nematophagous fungi detect and respond to ascarosides, a conserved molecular pattern from nematodes.
- Ascarosides trigger fungal trap formation, particularly under nutrient limitation.
- This response is conserved in related fungal species, indicating eavesdropping on prey chemical signals.
Conclusions:
- Nematophagous fungi utilize ascarosides to detect prey and regulate trap formation, showcasing predator-prey coevolution.
- Microbial predators eavesdrop on metazoan prey's chemical communication for developmental regulation.
- Findings have implications for understanding interkingdom interactions involving nematodes in diverse ecological niches.
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