The beet cyst nematode
Heterodera schachtii is an important pathogen worldwide, but its molecular characterization has been limited to studying individual genes of interest.
We undertook a high-throughput genomic approach and drastically increased the number of available sequences for this parasite.
A total of 2,662 expressed sequence tags were grouped into 1,212 clusters representing a nonredundant catalog of
H. schachtii genes. Implementing a bioinformatic workflow, we identified 50 sequences coding for candidate secreted proteins. All of these
contain a putative signal peptide required for entry into the secretory pathway and lack any transmembrane domain. Included
are previously postulated cell-wall-degrading enzymes and other parasitism-related genes. Moreover, we provide the first report
of an arabinogalactan endo-1,4-β-galactosidase enzyme (EC 3.2.1.89) in animals. As sequence data increase at a rapid rate,
developing high-throughput genomic screening is a necessity. The
in silico approach described here is an effective way to identify putative secreted proteins and prioritize candidates for further
studies.