Bioinformatics analysis of the sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporter family in Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Pine wilt disease (PWD), caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, poses a significant threat to global pine forests. The sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporter (SNF) plays a critical role in the reuptake of neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft, thereby terminating neural signal transmission and maintaining nervous system homeostasis. This study aimed to comprehensively identify all members of the SNF in B. xylophilus and elucidated their roles in nematode development and nervous system function. Through genome-wide data analysis, we identified 18 SNFs in B. xylophilus and thoroughly characterized their physicochemical properties, conserved motifs, protein structures, and gene expression profiles across different developmental stages. Phylogenetic analysis revealed evolutionary relationships with SNF homologs from other nematodes, suggesting lineage-specific functional adaptations. Chromosomal localization revealed that the SNF genes are distributed across five chromosomes with numbers ranging from 1 to 18. Expression analysis showed that Bx-snf-2, Bx-snf-6, Bx-snf-7, Bx-snf-9, Bx-snf-10 were highly expressed in adult males, while Bx-snf-1 and Bx-snf-4 were enriched during the egg stage. Additionally, Bx-snf-12 and Bx-snf-18 exhibited peak expression in fourth-stage larvae (L4). Notably, the upregulation of specific Bx-snfs during the dauer stage indicates potential roles in mediating stress adaptation and survival under adverse conditions. This study provides the first systematic characterization of the BxSNFs, revealing unique gene structures and specialized expression profiles. These findings offer potential molecular targets for developing novel control strategies against pine wilt disease by interfering with neurotransmitter reuptake.