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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.04.08.717173

Interspecific adaptations in root system architecture define host tolerance of Arabidopsis to biotic stresses by root feeding nematodes

Willig, J.-J.·van Schaik, C.·Faesen, R.·Suresh, S.·Sterken, M. G.·Teklu, M. G.·Smant, G.
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Abstract

Belowground, plants are exposed to a wide range of biotic stresses that vary in severity and nature, including tissue damage, disruption of vascular connectivity, and depletion of assimilates. How plants adapt their root systems to cope with different types of belowground biotic stresses is not well known. In this paper we compare above- and belowground plant adaptations to three nematode species with distinct tissue migration and feeding behaviours to study mechanisms underlying tolerance to different types of biotic stresses. We monitored both green canopy growth and changes in root system architecture of Arabidopsis inoculated with Pratylenchus penetrans, Heterodera schachtii, and Meloidogyne incognita. This revealed three distinct phases in aboveground plant responses: (i) initial growth inhibition associated with host invasion and tissue damage, (ii) persistent growth reduction associated with nematode sedentarism, and (iii) late growth stimulus in more advanced stages of infection. Specific adaptations in the root systems further revealed fundamentally different stress coping strategies. Tissue damage and intermittent feeding by P. penetrans in the root cortex did not induce significant changes in root system architecture. Tissue damage to the root cortex and prolonged feeding on host vascular cells by H. schachtii induced secondary root formation compensating for primary root growth inhibition. Prolonged feeding on host vascular cell by M. incognita alone did not induce secondary root formation, but was accompanied by typical local tissue swelling instead. Our data suggest that local secondary root formation and tissue swelling are two distinct compensatory mechanisms underlying tolerance to sedentarism by root-feeding nematodes. HighlightHow plants utilize root system plasticity to cope with different types of biotic stresses by root feeding nematodes remains largely unknown. Here, we report on specific adaptive growth responses in Arabidopsis roots to three nematode species, Pratylenchus penetrans, Heterodera schachtii, and Meloidogyne incognita, with fundamentally different strategies for host invasion, subsequent migration through host tissue, and feeding on host cells.

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Willig, J.-J., van Schaik, C., Faesen, R., Suresh, S., Sterken, M. G., Teklu, M. G., Smant, G.. 2026-04-10. Interspecific adaptations in root system architecture define host tolerance of Arabidopsis to biotic stresses by root feeding nematodes. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.08.717173

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