Study
Nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora mimics olfactory cues of sex and food to lure its nematode prey
Hsueh, Yen-Ping; Gronquist, Matthew R.; Schwarz, Erich M.; Nath, Ravi D.; Lee, Ching-Han; Gharib, Shalha; Schroeder, Frank C.; Sternberg, Paul W.
eLife, 2017
Volatile compounds released by trap-bearing fungal cultures were collected and identified, and nematodes were offered a choice between those volatiles and controls in chemotaxis assays. Responses were compared across nematode species, and mutant nematodes with specific olfactory pathways disabled were used to identify which sensory routes the attraction depends on.
- Studied in
- Arthrobotrys oligospora, Caenorhabditis elegans
- Sample size
- chemotaxis assays across nematode species and fungal conditions
Trap-bearing cultures released volatiles that attracted nematodes, including compounds resembling nematode sex pheromone and food-associated odours. Attraction depended on identified olfactory pathways in the nematode, and the volatile profile differed between fungal species in ways matching the prey they take.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
The fungus lures its prey by mimicking olfactory cues that nematodes are already tuned to follow, rather than waiting for them to arrive by chance.
How NatureHQ reads it
This completes the picture the eavesdropping result began. The fungus reads the chemical signals nematodes send each other, and it also sends signals back — imitating the smell of a mate and of food. It is deception in the strict sense, practised by an organism with no nervous system, on an animal that has one.
- Laboratory assays with cultured fungi and mostly one well-studied nematode species; how strong the lure is in soil is not established.
- Attraction was measured over short distances on plates, which is not the geometry of a soil pore.
The smell of a mate that is not there
A trapping fungus builds traps when worms are near. Does it also do anything to make worms come near?
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: eLife Sciences PublicationsPublished in eLife under CC BY 4.0.
Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-03.