Morphological and molecular characterization of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora isolated from Indian soils and their biocontrol potential

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4878 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
AASHA RANA ◽  
AASHAQ HUSSAIN BHAT ◽  
ASHOK KUMAR CHAUBEY ◽  
EBRAHIM SHOKOOHI ◽  
RICARDO A. R. MACHADO

Agricultural soils and open fields from Western Uttar Pradesh (India) were surveyed to determine the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes. From the entomopathogenic nematodes isolated, Heterorhabditis isolates were selected and further characterized using morphological, morphometrical and molecular approaches. The results showed that three isolated nematodes were Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and were associated with Photorhabdus laumondii subsp. clarkei bacteria, while the rests were identified as Heterorhabditis indica. The biocontrol potential of H. bacteriophora against three agricultural pests was evaluated. Nematode infectivity experiments showed that the nematode isolates DH7 and DH8 were highly pathogenic against cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura), and less pathogenic against white grub (Holotrichia serrata) larvae. This study sets the basis for establishing new biocontrol agents to be used in pest management programs in India.

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (10) ◽  
pp. 1363-1374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Fang Lim ◽  
Chengfa Benjamin Lee ◽  
Sarah Marie Pascoe ◽  
Choon Beng How ◽  
Sharon Chan ◽  
...  

Bats are important reservoirs and vectors in the transmission of emerging infectious diseases. Many highly pathogenic viruses such as SARS-CoV and rabies-related lyssaviruses have crossed species barriers to infect humans and other animals. In this study we monitored the major roost sites of bats in Singapore, and performed surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in these bats. Screening of guano samples collected during the survey uncovered a bat coronavirus (Betacoronavirus) in Cynopterus brachyotis, commonly known as the lesser dog-faced fruit bat. Using a capture-enrichment sequencing platform, the full-length genome of the bat CoV was sequenced and found to be closely related to the bat coronavirus HKU9 species found in Leschenault’s rousette discovered in the Guangdong and Yunnan provinces.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1239
Author(s):  
Aashaq Hussain Bhat ◽  
Swati Gautum ◽  
Aasha Rana ◽  
Ashok Kumar Chaubey ◽  
Joaquín Abolafia ◽  
...  

An insect parasitic nematode belonging to the genus Oscheius was recovered from the agricultural soils from the Hapur district in western Uttar Pradesh, India. Morphological studies on this species exhibited its high resemblance with two Pakistani species: Oscheius siddiqii and O. niazii. No molecular data are available for these taxa but, morphologically, both species do not differ significantly from our strains and each other. Hence, these nematodes can be considered conspecific, and the correct name for this taxon is O. siddiqii, the first described species. The phylogenetic analyses of the ITS-, 18S-, and the 28S rDNA sequences showed that O. siddiqii is a sister taxon to the group formed by Oscheius microvilli, O. myriophilus, O. safricanus, and several unidentified Oscheius species. Additionally, our analyses show that based on molecular and morphological data, the species Oscheius rugaoensis and O. microvilli cannot be distinguished from O. chongmingensis and O. myriophilus, respectively, and are thus considered junior synonyms of these taxa. Furthermore, the available data are not sufficient to evaluate the status of Oscheius basothovii and O. safricanus, which are, in consequence, considered species inquirendae. These findings highlight the necessity of the proper morphological and molecular characterisation of the described Oscheius species.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1067
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Ukalska-Jaruga ◽  
Romualda Bejger ◽  
Guillaume Debaene ◽  
Bożena Smreczak

The objective of this paper was to investigate the molecular characterization of soil organic matter fractions (humic substances (HS): fulvic acids-FAs, humic acids-HAs, and humins-HNs), which are the most reactive soil components. A wide spectrum of spectroscopic (UV–VIS and VIS–nearIR), as well as electrochemical (zeta potential, particle size diameter, and polydispersity index), methods were applied to find the relevant differences in the behavior, formation, composition, and sorption properties of HS fractions derived from various soils. Soil material (n = 30) used for the study were sampled from the surface layer (0–30 cm) of agricultural soils. FAs and HAs were isolated by sequential extraction in alkaline and acidic solutions, according to the International Humic Substances Society method, while HNs was determined in the soil residue (after FAs and HAs extraction) by mineral fraction digestion using a 0.1M HCL/0.3M HF mixture and DMSO. Our study showed that significant differences in the molecular structures of FAs, Has, and HNs occurred. Optical analysis confirmed the lower molecular weight of FAs with high amount of lignin-like compounds and the higher weighted aliphatic–aromatic structure of HAs. The HNs were characterized by a very pronounced and strong condensed structure associated with the highest molecular weight. HAs and HNs molecules exhibited an abundance of acidic, phenolic, and amine functional groups at the aromatic ring and aliphatic chains, while FAs mainly showed the presence of methyl, methylene, ethenyl, and carboxyl reactive groups. HS was characterized by high polydispersity related with their structure. FAs were characterized by ellipsoidal shape as being associated to the long aliphatic chains, while HAs and HNs revealed a smaller particle diameter and a more spherical shape caused by the higher intermolecular forcing between the particles. The observed trends directly indicate that individual HS fractions differ in behavior, formation, composition, and sorption properties, which reflects their binding potential to other molecules depending on soil properties resulting from their type. The determined properties of individual HS fractions are presented as averaged characteristics over the examined soils with different physico-chemical properties.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashid Pervez ◽  
Showkat Ahmad Lone ◽  
Sasmita Pattnaik

Abstract Background Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) harboring symbiotic bacteria are one of the safest alternatives to the chemical insecticides for the control of various insect pests. Infective juveniles of EPNs locate a target insect, enter through the openings, and reach the hemocoel, where they release the symbiotic bacteria and the target gets killed by the virulence factors of the bacteria. Photorhabdus with Heterorhabditis spp. are well documented; little is known about the associated bacteria. Main body In this study, we explored the presence of symbiotic and associated bacteria from Heterorhabditis sp. (IISR-EPN 09) and characterized by phenotypic, biochemical, and molecular approaches. Six bacterial isolates, belonging to four different genera, were recovered and identified as follows: Photorhabdus luminescens, one each strain of Providencia vermicola, Pseudomonas entomophila, Alcaligenes aquatilis, and two strains of Alcaligenes faecalis based on the phenotypic, biochemical criteria and the sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Conclusion P. luminescens is symbiotically associated with Heterorhabditis sp. (IISR-EPN 09), whereas P. vermicola, P. entomophila, A. aquatilis, and A. faecalis are the associated bacteria. Further studies are needed to determine the exact role of the bacterial associates with the Heterorhabditis sp.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 396
Author(s):  
Ewa Sajnaga ◽  
Marcin Skowronek ◽  
Agnieszka Kalwasińska ◽  
Waldemar Kazimierczak ◽  
Karolina Ferenc ◽  
...  

This study focused on the potential relationships between midgut microbiota of the common cockchafer Melolontha melolontha larvae and their resistance to entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) infection. We investigated the bacterial community associated with control and unsusceptible EPN-exposed insects through nanopore sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant bacterial phyla within the complex and variable midgut microbiota of the wild M. melolontha larvae. The core microbiota was found to include 82 genera, which accounted for 3.4% of the total number of identified genera. The EPN-resistant larvae differed significantly from the control ones in the abundance of many genera belonging to the Actinomycetales, Rhizobiales, and Clostridiales orders. Additionally, the analysis of the microbiome networks revealed different sets of keystone midgut bacterial genera between these two groups of insects, indicating differences in the mutual interactions between bacteria. Finally, we detected Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus as gut residents and various bacterial species exhibiting antagonistic activity against these entomopathogens. This study paves the way to further research aimed at unravelling the role of the host gut microbiota on the output of EPN infection, which may contribute to enhancement of the efficiency of nematodes used in eco-friendly pest management.


1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL J. MENCONI ◽  
THOMAS OWEN ◽  
KURT A. DASSE ◽  
GARY STEIN ◽  
JANE B. LIAN
Keyword(s):  

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