Diagnosis and Characterization of Ditylenchus destructor Isolated from Mazus japonicus in China

Abstract

The potato rot nematode (Ditylenchus destructor) is one of the most destructive pests in the production of tuber crops, resulting in severely decreased yields and inferior product quality. In 2021, a great number of nematodes were detected in the roots of Mazus japonicus, a weed that is harmful to crop growth, in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. The present study was undertaken to characterize and identify the nematodes isolated from M. japonicus through morphological identification and molecular approaches. Their morphological characteristics were highly consistent with the descriptions of D. destructor Thorne, 1945. The nematodes collected from M. japonicus were identified as D. destructor haplotype B using D1/D2 and sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) primers. PCR-ITS-RFLP analysis was conducted to monitor intraspecific variations. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) demonstrated that this D. destructor population was clustered in haplotype B, supported by a 100% bootstrap value. Another assay, in which M. japonicus was inoculated with a mixture of the life stages of D. destructor, was performed. This assay showed that M. japonicus exhibited a high susceptibility to D. destructor in pots. This is the first record of D. destructor parasitizing M. japonicus in China, and it is of great importance because M. japonicus could be a potential reservoir for D. destructor in the field.

Efficient and Direct Identification of Ditylenchus destructor and D. dipsaci in Soil and Plant Tissues Using a Species-Specific PCR Assay

“…Additionally, plants do not exhibit obvious symptoms in the early stages of infection. Hence, to effectively control the harm caused by this nematode disease, it is crucial to quickly detect the nematode in soil or on early diseased plants [31,33]. In previous studies, a method was established for directly detecting both nematode species from soil using RPA, LAMP, and qPCR techniques [14,15,34].…”

Advances in Migratory Plant Endoparasitic Nematode Effectors

“…All species within this genus have the potential to cause damage to host plants by feeding and moving within the root cortex, posing a significant threat to global agricultural economies [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Ditylenchus destructor , a species within the Ditylenchus genus, is listed as an important quarantine organism globally, severely impacting the production of sweet potatoes and potatoes, causing yield losses ranging from 20% to 50% [ 11 , 12 ]. B. xylophilus can induce devastating diseases in pine trees, often leading to the death of infected trees and resulting in irreparable economic losses annually.…”