No species exist alone in nature. How different species communicate, interact and co-evolved is a fascinating question in biology. Nematodes, including the model species, C. elegans, face predation risk from a group of carnivorous fungal species that prey on nematodes. The Hsueh lab investigates the molecular interactions between nematodes and nematode-trapping fungi and to study the coevolution between the microscopic prey and predators.
Using the model nematode C. elegans and the nematode-trapping fungus Artrhobotry oligospora as our system, we ask how do nematodes sense and respond to their predator and how do nematode-trapping fungi sense and kill their prey. We found that the predator is able to eavesdrop on the prey pheromone ascarosides which induce trap development in A. oligospora. Furthermore, A. oligospora also produces olfactory mimicry of food and sex cues to lure the nematode prey. We believe that understanding the molecular mechanisms of these interactions will shed insight into the predator and prey co-evolution. In the long term, we hope that our study will facilitate the development of new methods, approaches, and treatments for parasitic nematode infection in plants, animals and humans.
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The Hsueh lab is interested in a diverse range of fundamental and biologically interesting questions in our microscopic predator (fungi) -prey (worms) system. Here are a few topics that are currently pursued in the lab.
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The molecular mechanisms of nematode-sensing and killing in the nematode-trapping fungi. We found that the nematode pheromones, ascarosides, are part of these signals that induce trap-formation in A. oligospora. We use genetic and genomic approach to identify genes and pathways that regulate the trap development and pathogenicity of the nematode-trapping fungi. The wide diversity of different ascarosides produced by nematodes might be a result of evolutionary arm races between nematodes and nematode-trapping fungi and we hope to understand the molecular mechanism of this cross-kingdom communication.
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The molecular mechanisms of mushroom-induced paralysis in nematodes. We also study another group of mushroom that are toxic to C. elegans. We hope to identify the target of the nematicidal toxin in C. elegans and to identify how the toxin is produced in the mushroom.
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Ecology of the nematodes and nematode-trapping fungi. We are interested in the species correlation between the nematodes and nematode-trapping fungi in nature. We believe that a better understanding of the natural history of the nematodes and nematode-trapping fungi will also help us to understand the molecular interactions between these species.
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Evolution of the prey-predator interactions. We hope to study the genetic basis for adaptive evolution through experimental evolution in the laboratory.