Figure 7

SlWRKY31 overexpression in tomato hairy roots enhances M. javanica nematode infestation. Increased susceptibility of tomato hairy roots overexpressing SlWRKY31 (WRKY31-OE-E1 and WRKY31-OE-E6) expressed as increased infection reflected by number of (a) eggs and (b) galls compared to the control line (empty vector). (c) Susceptibility of tomato roots overexpressing SlWRKY31 compared to control line. All root lines were subjected to inoculation with 200 sterile preparasitic J2s, and the infected roots were examined 28 days post-infection (dpi) to evaluate gall and egg development using a dissecting microscope. It is important to note the significant (P < 0.05) increase in the percentage of eggs and galls observed in the WRKY31-OE-E1 and WRKY31-OE-E6 root lines compared to the control roots. The data are presented as the means of 15 plants from each line, and the experiment was repeated three times, yielding consistent results. The SEM represents the percentage of each developmental stage. Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) among the hairy root lines as determined by Tukey–Kramer multiple comparison tests.