Co-transcriptomic network analysis of host-parasite interactions reveals genes underpinning parasite fitness

Infection intensity gradients in Medicago truncatula–Meloidogyne hapla co-transcriptomes reveal coordinated host development programs and parasite protein production linked to parasite fitness.

• Why it matters: Natural variation in host and parasite regulatory networks shapes infection outcomes, but how these coordinated networks map onto diverse disease phenotypes remains unclear.
• What they did: Co-transcriptomes from recombinant inbred lines were re-contextualized using infection intensity as a proxy for parasite load, estimating interaction gradients via covariance with transcript levels and integrating host–parasite network analyses.
• The result: Network links between host cell wall remodeling and parasite protein production/secretion were supported experimentally: silencing candidate nematode genes reduced host galling and parasite reproductive fitness.

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