ArticlePest management science2026
A neprilysin effector from the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus targets pine caffeic acid O-methyltransferase and inhibits lignin biosynthesis.
Article in Pest management science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPine wilt disease caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus can devastate the pine forest ecosystem. Lignification is a vital strategy to help hosts resist pathogens, but how B. xylophilus effectors regulate the lignin biosynthesis of pine trees are unknown.
resultsIn this study, we identified a B. xylophilus neprilysin effector BxNEP1, which rose in the three B. xylophilus transcriptomes of different infection stages. We demonstrated that BxNEP1 is required for B. xylophilus reproduction and virulence during parasitic stages. Silencing of the BxNEP1 gene resulted in the upregulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes PtPR-2, PtPR-5, PtPR-6 and PtLOX-5, as well as increased endogenous jasmonic acid levels in Pinus thunbergii. Protein-protein interaction assays further confirmed that BxNEP1 interacts with a P. thunbergii caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (PtCOMT), which is a major enzyme in lignin biosynthesis. Gene expression pattern indicated that BxNEP1 overcame PtCOMT quickly in the interaction between B. xylophilus and P. thunbergii at early infection stage. Furthermore, BxNEP1 effectively inhibited lignin biosynthesis by directly suppressing the gene expression of PtCOMT or indirectly downregulating PtCOMT expression through reducing JA production.
conclusionIn conclusion, when B. xylophilus secretes BxNEP1 into pines, BxNEP1 inhibits lignin biosynthesis in pine trees through two distinct regulatory mechanisms to promote nematode parasitism. This study unveils a novel mechanism exploited by nematodes to suppress plant immunity, which can lead to the development of new strategies for B. xylophilus control in pines. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.