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Dr Keith Davies




Biological Control
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Rothamsted Research Limited, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK.
Telephone: +44 (0)1582 763133 x2220. Fax: +44 (0)1582 760981
Email: keith.davies@bbsrc.ac.uk


The main focus of my research is on the interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes (Meloidogyne, Heterodera and Globodera spp.), and the obligate endospore forming bacteria Pasteuria spp.. The image on the top right is the head of a root-knot nematode encumbered with Pasteuria penetrans endospores and coloured to enhance the contrast between the nematode and the attached endospores. This bacterium has potential to be developed into a biological control agent as it has been associated with plant-parasitic nematode suppressive soils. There are, however, two major problems in developing this bacteria into a commercially viable product: 1) it is very difficult to mass produce this organism in vitro, and 2) its host specificity; one population of endospores will adhere to the cuticle and infect one population of nematode but not another. To address these two problems I have been involved in a genome sequencing project in collaboration with Professor Charlie Opperman at North Carolina State University and Dr Kelly Smith at Pasteuria BioScience Inc.

I was invited to present the most recent results of this research at the 5th International Congress of Nematology, at Brisbane, in July 2008, the Annual Meeting for the Society of Invertebrate Pathology at Warwick in August 2008. Copies of these and other presentations can be obtained by following the links below.

Home     Biocontrol     C. elegans     Diagnostics     Society and Science     Miscellany


Recent presentations & posters
Brisbane I: Genomics; Brisbane II: Clonal variation; Warwick I: Tritrophic interactions The Linnean: Peptide optimisation


Selected publications

Davies, K.G. (2009) Understanding the interaction between an obligate hyperparasitic bacterium, Pasteuria penetrans and its obligate plant parasitic nematode host, Meloidogyne spp. Advances in Parasitology 68, 211-245.

  • Hallmann, J., Davies, K.G. and Sikora, R. (2009) Biological Control Using Microbial Pathogens, Endophytes and Antagonists. In: Root-Knot Nematodes Edts. R.N. Perry, M. Moens and J.L. Starr. pp 380-411. CABI, Wallingford, UK.

    Davies, K.G., Rowe, J. and Williamson, V.M. (2008) Inter and intra specific cuticle variation between amphimictic and parthenogenetic species of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) as revealed by a bacterial parasite (Pasteuria penetrans) International Journal for Parasitology 38, 851-859.

    Vagelas, I.K., Pembroke, B., Gowen, S.R.and Davies, KG. (2007) The control of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) by Pseudomonas oryzihabitans and its immunological detection on tomato roots. Nematology 9, 363-370.

    • Costa, S.R., Kerry, B.R., Bardgett, R., Davies, K.G. (2006) Exploitation of Immunofluorescence for the Quantification and Characterisation of Small Numbers of Pasteuria Endospores. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 58, 593-600.

    Davies, K.G. & Williamson, V.M. (2006) Host-specificity exhibited by populations of endospores of Pasteuria penetrans to the juvenile and male cuticles of Meloidogyne hapla. Nematology 8, 475-476.

    Davies, K.G. and Opperman, C.H. (2006) A potential role for collagen in the attachment of Pasteuria penetrans to nematode cuticle. IOBC/wprs Bulletin 29, 11-15.

    van der Putten, W.H. Cook, R., Costa, S., Davies, K.G., Fargette, M., Freitas, H., Hol, W.H.G., Kerry, B.R., Maher, N., Mateille, T., Moens, M., Pena, Piskiewicz, A.M., Raeymaekers, A.D.W., Rodriguez-Echeverria, and van der Wurff, A.W.G. (2006) Nematode Interactions in Nature: models for sustainable control of nematode pests of crop plants. Advances in Agronomy 89, 227 - 260.

    Charles, L., Carbonne, I., Davies, K.G., Bird, D., Burke, M., Opperman, C.H. (2005) Phylogenetic analysis of Pasteuria penetrans using multiple genetic loci. Journal of Bacteriology, 187, 5700-5708.

    Davies, K.G. (2005) Interactions between Nematodes and Microorganisms: Bridging Ecological and Molecular Approaches. Advances in Applied Microbiology 57, 53-78.

    Wishart, J., Blok, V.C., Phillips, M.S. and Davies, K.G. (2004) Pasteuria penetrans and P. nishizawae attachment to Meloidogyne chitwoodi, M. fallax and M. hapla. Nematology 6, 507-510.

    Bird, D., Opperman, C.H. and Davies, K.G. (2003) Interactions between bacteria and plant parasitic nematodes: now and then. International Journal of Parasitiology 33, 1269-1276.

    Vaid, A., Bishop, A.H. and Davies, K.G. (2002) The polypeptide components of the parasporal fibres of Pasteuria penetrans. World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology 18, 151-157.

    Mohan, S., Fould, S. and Davies, K.G. (2001) The interaction between the gelatin-binding domain of fibronectin and the attachment of Pasteuria penetrans endospores to nematode cuticle Parasitology 123 271-276.

    Davies, K. G., Fargette, M., Balla, G., Daudi, A., Duponnois, R., Gowen, S.R., Mateille, T., Phillips, M. S., Sawadogo, A., Trivino, C., Vouyoukalou, E. & Trudgill, D.L. (2001) Cuticle heterogeneity as exhibited by Pasteuria spore attachment is not linked to the phylogeny of parthenogenetic root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) Parasitology 122, 111-120.

    Gravato Nobre, M.J., Davies, K.G., von Mende, N. & Evans, K (2001) The identification of cuticular and ES antigens conserved across some groups of plant parasitic and free living nematodes. International Journal of Nematology, 11, 157-167.

    Trudgill, D.L., Bala, G., Blok, V.C., Daudi, A., Davies, K.G., Fargette, M., Gowen, S.R., Madulu, J.D., Mateille, T., Mwageni, W., Netscher, C., Phillips, M.S., Abdoussalam, S., Trivino, G.C. and Voyoulallou, E. (2000) The importance of tropical root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and factors affecting the utility of Pasteuria penetrans as a biocontrol agent. Nematology 2, 823-845.

    Gravato-Nobre, M.J., McClure, M. A., Dolan, L., Calder, G., Davies, K.G., Mulligan, B., Evans, K. & von Mende, N., (1999). Meloidogyne incognita surface antigen epitopes in infected Arabidopsis roots. Journal of Nematology 31, 212-223.

    Davies, K. G. and Redden, M. (1997) Diversity and partial characterisation of putative virulence determinants in Pasteuria penetrans, the hyperparasite of root-knot nematodes Journal of Applied Microbiology, 83, 227-235.

    Sharma, S. B. & Davies, K. G. (1997) Modulation of spore adhesion of the hyperparasitic bacterium Pasteuria penetrans to nematode cuticle. Letters in Applied Microbiology 25, 426-430.

    Sharma, S.B. and Davies, K.G. (1996) A comparison of two sympatric species of Pasteuria isolated from a tropical vertisol soil. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 12, 361-366.

    Davies, K.G., Afolabi, P. and O'Shea, P.S. (1996) Adhesion of Pasteuria penetrans to the cuticle of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp) inhibited by fibronectin: a study of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Parasitology 112, 553-559).

    Davies, K. G., Redden, M. and T. K. Pearson, (1994) Endospore heterogeneity in Pasteuria penetrans related to attachment to plant-parasitic nematodes. Letters in Applied Microbiology 19, 370-373.

    Davies, K. G., Danks, C. (1993) Carbohydrate/protein interactions between the cuticle of infective juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita and spores of the obligate hyperparasite Pasteuria penetrans. Nematologica 39, 54-64.

    Davies, K. G., Danks, C. (1992) Interspecific differences in the nematode surface coat between Meloidogyne incognita and M. arenaria related to the adhesion of the bacterium Pasteuria penetrans. Parasitology 105, 475-480.

    Davies, K. G., Laird, V. and Robinson, M.P. (1992) Proteins involved in the attachment of a hyperparasite Pasteuria penetrans to its plant parasitic nematode host Meloidogyne incognita. Journal of Invetebrate Pathology 59, 18-23.

    Davies, K. G., Laird, V. and Kerry, B. R. (1991) The motility, development and infection of Meloidogyne incognita encumbered with spores of the obligate hyperparasite Pasteuria penetrans. Revue de Nématologie 14, 611-618.

    Davies, K. G., Flynn, C. A., Laird, V. and Kerry, B. R. (1990) The life-cycle, population dynamics and host specificity of a parasite of Heterodera avenae, similar to Pasteuria penetrans. Revue de Nématologie 13, 303-309.

    Davies, K. G.,Kerry, B. R. and Flynn, C. A. (1988) Observations on the pathogenicity of Pasteuria penetrans, a parasite of root-knot nematodes. Ann. Appl. Biol. 112, 491-501.