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Title: PANAGRELLUS REDIVIVUS AS A MOLECULAR MODEL FOR CYST NEMATODES

Author
item Kovaleva, Elena
item KROMINA, K - RUSS INST PHYTOPATH
item GIRSOVA, N - RUSS INST PHYTOPATH
item Masler, Edward
item DZHAVAKHIYA, V - RUSS INST PHYTOPATH
item Chitwood, David

Submitted to: Society of Nematologists Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2003
Publication Date: 9/1/2003
Citation: Kovaleva, E.S., Kromina, K.A., Girsova, N.V., Masler, E.P., Dzhavakhiya, V.G., Chitwood, D.J. 2003. Panagrellus redivivus as a molecular model for cyst nematodes. J. Nematol. 35(3): 348. 2003.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The use of molecular biology techniques opens up a number of possibilities for discovery of cyst nematode control strategies. Because of the paucity of information on genes from cyst nematodes, it is logical to exploit sequences from well-studied species such as Caenorhabditis elegans and a few animal-parasitic nematodes. Nonetheless, in our initial studies with more than 10 genes from Heterodera glycines and Globodera rostochiensis, this approach was inefficient for primer and probe design. In some cases the usage of sequences from non-nematode species, such as insects or vertebrates, was more successful. The primary reason for this lack of utility of other nematodes is the dramatic difference in GC composition and codon usage between cyst nematodes versus C. elegans, the animal parasites, and Meloidogyne species. Therefore, we examined another free-living nematode, Panagrellus redivivus, as a candidate for a molecular model. This species is conveniently handled in the laboratory but is very poorly studied on the molecular level. We first selected for investigation the actin/heat shock protein-70 superfamily, which contains ubiquitous, highly expressed and strongly conserved proteins. Several genes from this superfamily were identified from P. redivivus. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences were analyzed and compared with those for corresponding genes from other nematodes. Comparative analysis of the base composition and codon usage indicated that P. redivivus is a much better molecular model for cyst nematodes than C. elegans or any animal-parasitic nematode.