Pine wilt disease， caused by the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (PWN)， is an important destructive disease of pine forests worldwide. In addition to behaving as a plant-parasitic nematode that feeds on epithelial cells of pines， this pest relies on fungal associates for completing its life cycle inside pine trees. Manipulating microbial symbionts to block pest transmission has exhibited an exciting prospect in recent years; however， transforming the fungal mutualists to toxin delivery agents for suppressing PWN growth has received little attention.
Pine wilt disease， caused by the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (PWN)， is an important destructive disease of pine forests worldwide. In addition to behaving as a plant-parasitic nematode that feeds on epithelial cells of pines， this pest relies on fungal associates for completing its life cycle inside pine trees. Manipulating microbial symbionts to block pest transmission has exhibited an exciting prospect in recent years; however， transforming the fungal mutualists to toxin delivery agents for suppressing PWN growth has received little attention.
