Identification of a stylet-secreted effector protein family as a core component of root-knot nematode feeding tubes

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Number 6, February 2026.
ImportanceRoot-knot nematodes represent the most damaging group of plant-parasitic nematodes impacting global agricultural production. These obligate, sedentary endoparasites produce an essential structure, called a feeding tube, inside giant feeder cells…