Achievements in and future prospects for molecular diagnostics of plant-parasitic nematodes

Abstract

Molecular diagnostics of plant-parasitic nematodes and fundamental research concerning the pathogenicity of these pests have been revolutionized by the polymerase chain reaction. Molecular diagnostics based on sequence divergence between recognized taxa is now well established as a generic approach in plant pathology. Technological advances driven largely by medical diagnostics will continue to improve the accuracy, speed, throughput, affordability, and availability of these tools. Utilizing molecular diagnostics effectively for predictive risk assessment, quarantine purposes, and fundamental nematology will continue to require specialized understanding of these plant-parasitic nematodes and their hosts.

Keywords:

• sensitivity
• quantification
• indirect detection

Abbreviations:

• PPN, plant-parasitic nematode
• ITS, internal transcribed spacer
• ETS, external transcribed spacer
• IGS, intergenic spacer
• rDNA, ribosomal DNA
• mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA
• SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism
• PCR, polymerase chain reaction
• VNTRs, variable number of tandem repeats
• RKN, root knot nematode
• PCN, potato cyst nematode
• CO, cytochrome oxidase
• SCAR, sequence characterized amplified region
• RAPD, random amplified polymorphic region
• TRV, Tobacco rattle virus
• AFLP, amplified fragment length polymorphism