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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #150834
Title: EMENDED DESCRIPTION OF PASTEURIA NISHIZAWAE

Author
item NOEL, GREGORY
item ATIBALENTJA, NDEME - UNIV OF ILLINOIS
item DOMIER, LESLIE

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2004
Publication Date: 5/1/2005
Citation: Noel, G.R., Atibalentja,N., Domier, L.L. 2005. Emended description of pasteuria nishizawae. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 55:1681-1685.

Interpretive Summary: Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is an important yield-limiting pest of soybean in all production areas of the US. Estimated annual crop loss ranges from $240 million to $1.4 billion. One area of research to control SCN that has received limited effort is biological control. The bacterium Pasteuria is an obligate parasite of nematodes, which means that it can only grow on the nematode host in soil. The species of Pasteuria sp. that attacks SCN in Illinois has been shown to cause significant reductions in nematode numbers. The only other published report of a Pasteuria sp.parasitizing SCN was from Japan. That bacterium was named Pasteuria nishizawae. The Pasteuria from Illinois was shown to be morphologically quite similar to one in Japan. The species of Pasteuria are highly host specific. This research used DNA sequencing to show that the two strains are the same species. P. nishizawae is wide spread on SCN in Japan, but outside of Japan has only been reported in Illinois. This geographical distribution supports earlier research indicating that SCN was imported into the U.S. from Japan. Field experiments are under way to determine if P. nishizawae can adapt to the soils of the Midwest and function as an efficient biocontrol organism on SCN. This research will benefit researchers by providing a complete and correct identification of P. nishizawae.

Technical Abstract: The description of the gram positive, obligately parasitic, endospore and mycelial forming bacterium, Pasteuria nishizawae, is emended to include the 16S rDNA sequence, G + C DNA content, and additional details on endospore morphology. Observations on penetration of the nematode host, life cycle, and host range also are described.