St. Louis (March 31, 2003) - Scientists from Divergence Inc. and collaborating institutions today published the first large-scale classification of transcribed genes from a plant parasitic nematode genome.

The study, which analyzed 5,700 transcripts from the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, is part of a world-leading initiative in parasite genomics underway at Washington University's Genome Sequencing Center in St. Louis. The study was led by James P. McCarter, M.D., Ph.D., in his capacity as Research Instructor at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. McCarter is also President and Chief Scientific Officer of Divergence. Support for the project was provided in part by National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation grants to Washington University and North Carolina State University. Research at Divergence is independently funded.

The study, described in a paper published March 31 in Genome Biology, found substantial gene homologies between the plant parasite Meloidogyne and C. elegans, a free-living nematode widely used by biologists as a model organism. C. elegans was the first animal to have its genome fully sequenced, as much of the work was done at Washington University and the Sanger Centre near Cambridge England. The 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to founders of the C. elegans field, Sydney Brenner, John Sulston, and Robert Horvitz. Meloidogyne, or root knot nematode, is a devastating parasite of dozens of plants species causing billions of dollars in crop losses annually.

"The vast majority of root knot genes have homologs in C. elegans, making many experiments involving the model species immediately interpretable in the context of parasite biology and control," said Dr. McCarter. "Divergence has used this publicly available sequence data to identify nematode genes of interest for functional genomic studies. This important publication based on analysis at Washington University provides researchers with the first catalog of molecular functions and pathways active in root knot nematode."

Divergence Inc. Senior Director of Molecular Research Andrew Kloek Ph.D., Senior Research Associate Brandi Chiapelli, and Scientific Advisory Board Member David Bird, Ph.D., a Professor at North Carolina State University, were also authors on the study.

Divergence is a research and development company dedicated to the discovery of effective and ecologically sound strategies for the control of parasites and other pests. The company's initial focus is on parasitic nematodes, one of the world's major pest groups. Nematodes are roundworms that cause billions of dollars in damage annually to numerous crops, including soybeans, corn, and cotton, as well as most fruits and vegetables. Nematodes also cause widespread disease in animals, including infections such as heartworm in dogs and cats and intestinal worms in livestock. Nematode-induced human diseases include elephantiasis and African river blindness.

For more information on Divergence, visit www.divergence.com.