• Functional analysis of effectors of plant parasitic nematodes.
  • Genomics of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida.
  • Horizontal gene transfer in plant parasitic nematodes.
  • Characterisation and control of potato cyst nematodes in East Africa
  • Moelcular mechanisms underpinning hatch in potato cyst nematodes

John has a joint appointment at the University of St Andrews.

John is part of the Dundee Effector Consortium.

Past research

  • Work in our group is focused on identification and characterisation of secreted effector proteins of plant parasitic nematodes, with a particular focus on effectors that suppress host defences.
  • Our work uses genomics tools to identify and characterise effectors.  We have been involved in projects sequencing genomes and transcriptomes of a range of plant-parasitic nematodes.
  • One unexpected finding that has emerged from this work is that genes important in the parasitic process seem to have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer, from bacteria or fungi, in all groups of plant parasitic nematodes studied to date.
  • Current work is aimed at functional characterisation of proteins we suspect are important in generating a susceptible response or suppressing host defences in plants.

The following Publications have not yet been migrated to the James Hutton Institute's Pure service and relate to the research outputs from the two legacy organisations: The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and The Scottish Crop Research Institute.

Journals

Books / chapters

  • Smant, G.; Jones, J.T. (2011) Suppression of plant defences by nematodes., In: Jones, J.T., Gheysen, G. & Fenoll, C. (eds.). Genomics and Molecular Genetics of Plant-Nematode Interactions. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, Chapter 13, 273-286.
  • Jones, J.T.; Gheysen, G.; Fenoll, C. (eds.) (2011) Genomics and molecular genetics of plant-nematode interactions., Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 557pp. ISBN: 978-94-007-0433-6
  • Curtis, R.H.C.; Jones, J.T.; Davies, K.G.; Sharon, E.; Spiegel, Y. (2011) Plant nematode surfaces., In: Davies, K.G. & Spiegel, Y. (eds.). Biological Control of Plant Parasitic Nematodes: Building Coherence Between Microbial Ecology and Molecular Mechanisms. Springer Academic Publishers, 115-144.
  • Gheysen, G.; Jones, J.T. (2006) Molecular aspects of plant-nematode interactions., In: Perry, R.N. & Moens, M. (eds.). Plant Nematology. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon, pp234-254.
  • Jones, J.T. (2002) Nematode sense organs., In: Lees, D.L. (ed.). The Biology of Nematodes. Taylor and Francis, London, pp353-368.
  • Jones, J.T. (2001) Parasites of crops: Potato cyst nematode (PCN) Globodera pallida (Nematoda)., In: Halton, D.W., Behnke, J.M. & Marshall, I. (eds.). Practical Exercises in Parasitology. Cambridge University Press, Chapter 1.7, pp63-72.

Technical / contract reports

  • Avrova, A.O.; Birch, P.R.J.; Hein, I.; Jones, J.T.; Pritchard, L. (2010) Functional analysis of pathogen effectors: how to go from genomics to durable resistance., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2009, 39-41.
  • Wale, S.; Inglis, M.; Bain, R.; Davey, T.; Evans, A.; Bradshaw, J.E.; Phillips, M.; Jones, J.T.; Fenton, B.; Cooke, D.E.L.; Ramsay, G. (2008) Welcome to the Potatoes in Partnership open meetings 2008 which form part of knowledge transfer activities for RERAD funded research., SAC Information Note 105
  • Jones, J.T.; Phillips, M.S.; Blok, V.C. (2008) Potato cyst nematode genomics., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2007, pp26-27.
  • Whisson, S.C.; Avrova, A.O.; Birch, P.R.J.; Adam, M.; Blok, V.C.; Jones, J.T. (2004) Functional genomic tools for the major eukaryotic pathogens of potato., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2003/2004, pp127-128.
  • Whisson, S.C.; Avrova, A.O.; Armstrong, M.R.; Jones, J.T.; Venter, E.; Birch, P.R.J. (2004) Targeting late blight with gene discovery., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2002/2003, pp102-103.
  • Blok, V.C.; Armstrong, M.R.; Banks, B.; Birch, P.R.J.; Bryan, G.J.; Castelli, L.; Jones, J.T.; Kumar, A.; Phillips, M.S.; Purvis, A.; Ramsay, G.; Waugh, R.; Wishart, J. (2002) Investigating gene expression in nematode-infected roots., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2001/2002, pp122-124.

Conference papers

  • Lilley, C.J.; Berriman, M.; Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Kerry, B.R.; Hunt, M.; Urwin, P. (2010) The genome sequence of Globodera pallida and its utilisation for improved control., 3rd Symposium on Potato Cyst Nematodes, Harper Adams University College, Newport, 14-15 September 2010 (Talk).
  • Robertson, L.; Radhakrishnan, R.; Cock, P.J.A.; Blok, V.C.; Smith, A.; Grenier, E.; Hunt, M.; Berriman, M.; Jones, J.T. (2010) Functional analysis of pioneer effectors from plant parasitic nematodes., 4th Annual Meeting of COST 872 Nemagenics: Exploiting genomics to understand plant-nematode interactions, Lisbon, Portugal, 24-27 May 2010.
  • Thorpe, P.; Blok, V.C.; Pylypenko, L.A.; Urwin, P.; Jones, J.T. (2010) Functional analysis of Globodera pallida effector similar to ubiquitin extension proteins., 4th Annual Meeting of COST 872 Nemagenics: Exploiting genomics to understand plant-nematode interactions, Lisbon, Portugal, 24-27 May 2010.
  • Blok, V.C.; Phillips, M.S.; Jones, J.T. (2008) UK PCN research., State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, Marysville, Victoria, Australia, 21-22 July 2008.
  • Mulroy-Hehir, Z.; Jones, J.T.; Burnell, A. (2005) Isolation and characterisation of genes expressed during the early stages od insect infection by Steinernema carpocapsae., AAB Advances in Nematology. London, 13 December 2005.
  • Chen, Q.; Jones, J.T. (2004) Functional analysis of secreted proteins of plant parasitic nematodes using RNAi., European Society of Nematologists Meeting, Rome, 14-18 June 2004.
  • Birch, P.R.J.; Blok, V.C.; Phillips, M.; Jones, J.T.; Stewart, H.E.; Duncan, J.M.; Bryan, G.J.; Waugh, R.; Lyon, G.D.; MacFarlane, S.A.; Avrova, A.O.; Whisson, S.C.; Toth, I.K. (2003) Current and future research at SCRI on the molecular genetics of the interactions between potato and its major pathogens., Acta Horticulturae, 619, 95-119.
  • Holeva, R.C.; Chen, Q.; Neilson, R.; Jones, J.T.; Brown, D.J.F. (2001) Lectin attachment to Paratrichodorus anemones (Nematoda)., Proceedings of the Potato Association of America Meeting, St. Augustine, Florida, USA, 22-26 April 2001.
  • Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Popeijus, H.; Prior, A.E.; Phillips, M.S.; Smant, G. (2001) ESTs (expressed sequence tags) and parasitism – sequences and function., EU COST 819 Proceedings, Luxembourg, 228-237.
  • Holeva, R.C.; Chen, Q.; Neilson, R.; Jones, J.T.; Brown, D.J.F. (2000) Screening of selected lectins for attachment to Paratrichodorus anemones (Nematoda:Trichodoridae)., Association of Applied Biologists, Offered Papers in Nematology, Linnean Society of London, 12 December 2000.
  • Jones, J.T.; Blair, L.; Sobczak, M.; Clot, N.; Perry, R.N. (1999) Up-regulation of host and parasite genes during the life-cycle of cyst nematodes., Abstracts of the BSP Spring Meeting, Warwick, 68.

Conference posters / abstracts

  • Thorpe, P.; Jones, J.T.; Mantelin, S.; Coke, M.; Lilley, C.J.; Urwin, P. (2011) Characterization of effectors from the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida., Final Meeting of COST 872 Exploiting Genomics to Understand Plant-Nematode Interactions, held in association with the 63rd International Symposium on Crop Protection, Ghent, Belgium, May 2011. (Poster)
  • Blok, V.C.; Cock, P.J.A.; Hunt, M.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.; Jones, J.T. (2010) Investigations of the expression of the multipartite mtDNA of Globodera pallida., 4th Annual Meeting of COST 872 Nemagenics: Exploiting genomics to understand plant-nematode interactions, Lisbon, Portugal, 24-27 May 2010 (Poster).
  • Blok, V.C.; Cock, P.J.A.; Hunt, M.; Hedley, P.E.; Morris, J.; Jones, J.T. (2010) Investigations of the expression of the multipartite mtDNA of Globodera pallida., Society of Nematologists Annual Meeting, Boise, Idaho, USA, 11-14 July 2010 (Poster).
  • Jones, J.T.; Phillips, M.; Blok, V.C. (2007) Functional characterisation of secreted proteins of the potato cyst nematode Globoderra pallida., Advances in Nematology AAB 2007, London, 11 December 2007 (Abstract).
  • Blok, V.C.; Phillips, M.S.; Booth, A.; Smith, A.; Holt, A.; Gilroy, E.M.; Jones, J.T. (2007) Chorismate mutases of Globodera pallida: genetic and functional characterisation., XIII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Sorrento, Italy, 22-26 July 2007 (Abstract).
  • Holeva, R.C.; Chen, Q.; Curtis, R.; Neilson, R.; Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Brown, D.J.F. (2002) Magnetic separation as a tool in a sample preparation procedure for direct detection and quantification of trichodorid nematodes., Nematology, 4, 161-162.
  • Chen, Q.; Curtis, R.H.; Lamberti, F.; Mones, M.; Brown, D.J.F.; Jones, J.T. (2002) Using monoclonal antibodies to discover parasitism proteins from the virus-vector nematode Xiphinema index., Fourth International Congress of Nematology Programme and Abstracts,Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, 8-13 June 2002. 217.
  • Armstrong, M.R.; Banks, B.; Birch, P.R.J.; Jones, J.T.; Phillips, M.S.; Wishart, J.; Blok, V.C. (2001) Comparisons of incompatible and compatible plant-parasitic nematode/host interactions., MPMI ’01 Conference, Madison, Wisconsin, 10-14 July 2001 (Abstract).
  • Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Popeijus, H.; Robertson, L.; Prior, A.E.; Phillips, M.S.; Smant, G. (2000) Characterisation of secreted proteins of Globodera rostochiensis., Abstracts of the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Nematologists, Quebec, Canada, 24-28 June 2000.
  • Armstrong, M.R.; Banks, B.; Birch, P.R.J.; Jones, J.T.; Phillips, M.S.; Wishart, J.; Blok, V.C. (2000) Interactions between host roots and plant-parasitic nematodes., British Society of Plant Pathology Presidential Meeting, Wye, Kent, 18-20 December 2000. (Abstract).
  • Wishart, J.; Blok, V.C.; Jones, J.T.; Phillips, M.S. (2000) Diagnostics for distinguishing Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax from other root-knot nematodes., Abstracts of the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Nematologists, Quebec, Canada, 24-28 June 2000.
  • Blok, V.C.; Phillips, M.S.; Armstrong, M.R.; Jones, J.T.; Trudgill, D.L. (2000) Prospects for managing Globodera pallida., 39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Nematologists, Quebec, Canada, 24-28 June 2000 (Abstract).
  • Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Prior, A.E.; Phillips, M.S.; Popeijus, H.; Bakker, E.; Helder, H.; Smant, G. (2000) ESTs from potato cyst nematodes – from sequences to functional analysis., Nematology, 2, 765.
  • Blok, V.C.; Boutsika, K.; Castelli, L.; Phillips, M.S.; Smant, G.; Jones, J.T. (2000) Neuropeptide type sequences and activities in Globodera spp., 25th International Nematology Symposium, Herzliya, Israel, 2-7 April 2000. Nematology, 2, 745.
  • Wishart, J.; Blok, V.C.; Jones, J.T.; Phillips, M.S. (2000) Development of diagnostics for distinguishing Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax from other root-knot nematodes., Nematology, 2, 799.
  • Jones, J.T.; Robertson, L.; Prior, A.E.; Knox, D.; Phillips, M.S. (2000) Antioxidant proteins of Globodera rostochiensis., Nematology, 2, p764. Abstract
  • Prior, A.E.; Kennedy, M.W.; Blok, V.C.; McDermott, L.; Cooper, A.; Jones, J.T. (1999) Functional analysis of a nematode lipid binding protein using site-directed mutagenesis., Association of Applied Biologists, Offered Papers in Nematology, Linnean Society, London (Abstract).
  • Chen, Q.; Robertson, L.; Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Phillips, M.S.; Brown, D.J.F. (1999) Magnetic capture of nematodes using antiserum and lectin coated dynabeads., Abstracts of the AAB Offered Papers in Nematology Meeting, Linnean Society, London (Abstract).
  • Jones, J.T.; Blok, V.C.; Bakker, E.; Popeijus, H.; Helder, J.; Phillips, M.S.; Smant, G. (1999) ESTs from PCN – sequences and function., Abstracts of the AAB Offered Papers in Nematology Meeting, Linnean Society, London (Abstract).
  • Robertson, L.; Robertson, W.M.; Ferguson, M.A.J.; Stokkermans, J.; Jones, J.T. (1999) Characterisation of the secretions of the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis., Abstracts of the BSP Spring Meeting, Warwick, 87.