S. carpocapsae

Introduction

Steinernema carpocapsae is an entomopatogenic nematode. This nematode has a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria Xenorhabdus nematophila and pathogen interactions with a variety of insects. This non-model species is commonly used in the biological control of insect pests and represents a good genetic system to study pathogenesis and symbiosis, through comparative and evolutionary genomic analysis. Our group started the S. carpocapsae genome project of in the spring of 2009. During this time we obtained a near isogenic line by using in vitro techniques, assayed methods to eliminate bacteria and mitochondria, an attempt to estimated genome size by flow cytometry, and used next generation sequencing (NGS) to obtain the first draft of this speciesʼ genome. At this moment we are working  towards the goal of discovering genes involved in symbiosis and parasitic activity as well as the establishment of S. carpocapsae as a biological model to study mitochondrial-nucleus interactions. We believe this model can help understand molecular interactions and genetic mechanisms regulating pathogenesis, symbiosis and disease vectors.

Projects:

Identificación de genes de Steinernema carpocapsae implicados en etapas tempranas del proceso patogénico en insectos

Mitzi Flores-Ponce

Horizontally Transfered Virulence Factors from the Entomopathogenic Nematode Steinernema carpocapsae

Alejandra Rougon

Proteómica

Hilda Ramos

Related references:

·Hao, Y-J. , Montiel, R., Lucena, M.A., Nascimento, G., Costa, M., Simoes, N. 2012. Genetic diversity and comparative analysis of the gene expression between Heterorhabditis bacteriophora AZ29 and AZ36 isolates: uncovering candidate genes involved in insect pathogenicity. Experimental Parasitology. 130(2):116-125. ISSN: 0014-4894.

·Hao, Y.-J., Flores-Ponce, M., Montiel, R.* 2011. Genetics of Entomopathogenic Nematodes. En: Microbial insecticides, principles and applications. J.F. Borgio, K. Sahayaraj, I.A. Susurluk, Eds. Nova Science Publishers, New York. pp. 237-254. ISBN: 978-1-61209-223-2.

·Toubarro, D., Lucena-Robles, M., Nascimento, G., Santos, R., Montiel, R., Verissimo, P., Pires, E., Faro, C., Coelho, A.V., Simoes, N. 2010. Serine protease-mediated host invasion by the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 285(40): 30666-30675. ISSN: 0021-9258.

·Hao, Y-J., Montiel, R., Abubucker, S., Mitreva, M., Simões, N. 2010. Transcripts analysis of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae induced in vitro with insect haemolymph. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology. 169(2): 79-86. ISSN: 0166-6851.

· Toubarro, D., Lucena-Robles, M., Nascimento, G., Costa, G., Montiel, R., Coelho, A.V., Simões N. 2009. An apoptosis-inducing serine protease secreted by the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. International Journal for Parasitology. 39(12): 1319-1330. ISSN: 0020-7519.

·Hao, Y-J., Montiel, R., Nascimento, G., Toubarro, D., Simões, N. 2009. Identification and expression analysis of the Steinernema carpocapsae elastase-like serine protease gene during the parasitic stage. Experimental Parasitology. 122(1): 51-60. ISSN: 0014-4894.

·Hao, Y-J., Montiel, R., Nascimento, G., Toubarro, D., Simões, N. 2008. Identification, characterization of functional candidate genes for host-parasite interactions in entomopathogenetic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae by suppressive subtractive hybridization. Parasitology Research. 103(3): 671-683. ISSN: 0932-0113.

·Montiel, R.*, Lucena, M.A., Medeiros, J., Simoes, N. 2006. The complete mitochondrial genome of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae: Insights into nematode mitochondrial DNA evolution and phylogeny. Journal of Molecular Evolution. 62(2): 211-225. ISSN: 0022-2844.