DNA Relatedness between Xenorhabdus spp. (Enterobacteriaceae), Symbiotic Bacteria of Entomopathogenic Nematodes, and a Proposal To Transfer Xenorhabdus luminescens to a New Genus, Photorhabdus gen. nov.

Phylogeny of Steinernema Travassos, 1927 (Cephalobina: Steinernematidae) Inferred from Ribosomal DNA Sequences and Morphological Characters

“…Likewise, the obligate bacterial mutualists of Steinernema, Xenorhabdus spp., have yet to be fully described with respect to their species diversity. Five species of Xenorhabdus have been described based on culture characteristics and biochemical criteria (Boemare et al, 1996). It is notable that certain clades of Steinernema harbor the same Xenorhabdus species.…”

“…Steinernematids harbor bacterial symbionts, Xenorhabdus spp., that kill the insect host and digest tissues, thereby providing nutrients suitable for nematode growth and development within the insect cadaver (Boemare et al, 1993;Forst and Nealson, 1996). Steinernema species are distributed worldwide, having been reported from all continents except Antarctica (Griffin et al, 1990).…”

Isolation, Cloning and Expression of Insecticidal-Protein-Encoding Gene tcdA from Photorhabdus luminescens in Escherichia coli

“…Xenorhabdus form a mutually beneficial symbiotic complex with the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in the families' Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae respectively which are able to infect kill and reproduce in many insect species (Boemare et al, 1993;Thomas and Poinar, 1983). In this mutualistic relationship the bacteria are necessary to kill insect hosts and for nematode development within the insect (Boemare et al, 1993;Boemare, 2002).…”

“…In this mutualistic relationship the bacteria are necessary to kill insect hosts and for nematode development within the insect (Boemare et al, 1993;Boemare, 2002).…”

Photorhabdus temperata subsp. cinerea subsp. nov., isolated from Heterorhabditis nematodes

“…The bacterial genus Photorhabdus, members of which are associated symbiotically with entomopathogenic nematodes in the genus Heterorhabditis, was proposed by Boemare et al (1993) with the transfer of Xenorhabdus luminescens (Thomas & Poinar, 1979) to a new genus. After phylogenetic evidence of the taxonomic heterogeneity of Photorhabdus luminescens was provided by Szállás et al (1997), Fischer-Le Saux et al (1999) described the three present species of the genus (Photorhabdus asymbiotica, P. luminescens and Photorhabdus temperata), with three subspecies of P. luminescens (P. luminescens subsp.…”