The biology and host-parasite relationships of plant-parasitic nematodes is being investigated at the cellular and organismic level by a variety of technologies, including electron microscopy and the development of monoclonal antibodies to nematode antigens. The overall goal is to gain an understanding of the unique interactions between hosts and nematode pathogens that result in plant disease and crop loss. Recent findings include the discovery that the rectal dilation is a primary source of surface coat antigen in infective juveniles of the Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, and the observation that this material is deposited on host cells as the nematode penetrates plant tissues . The role of this antigen in host recognition phenomena in resistant and susceptible alfalfa is currently under investigation.
