Origin, distribution and 3D‐modeling of Gr‐EXPB1, an expansin from the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis

Abstract
Southern analysis showed that Gr‐EXPB1, a functional expansin from the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis, is member of a multigene family, and EST data suggest expansins to be present in other plant parasitic nematodes as well. Homology modeling predicted that Gr‐EXPB1 domain 1 (D1) has a flat β‐barrel structure with surface‐exposed aromatic rings, whereas the 3D structure of Gr‐EXPB1‐D2 was remarkably similar to plant expansins. Gr‐EXPB1 shows highest sequence similarity to two extracellular proteins from saprophytic soil‐inhabiting Actinobacteria, and includes a bacterial type II carbohydrate‐binding module. These results support the hypothesis that a number of pathogenicity factors of cyst nematodes is of procaryotic origin and were acquired by horizontal gene transfer.