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Detection of changes occurring during recovery from the dauer stage in Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2003

K. M. DOLAN
Affiliation:
Institute of Bioengineering and Agroecology and Department of Biology, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland
J. T. JONES
Affiliation:
MBN Unit, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
A. M. BURNELL
Affiliation:
Institute of Bioengineering and Agroecology and Department of Biology, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland

Abstract

Nematodes of the genus Heterorhabditis are insect parasites that are widely used as biological control agents. When conditions are unfavourable for reproduction in H. bacteriophora, a long-lived, non-feeding, survival and dispersal stage, the dauer juvenile (DJ), is formed. This DJ stage is also adapted for host finding and infection. When it infects a suitable host, the DJ recovers and resumes growth and development. We describe a series of methods for improved detection of recovery in H. bacteriophora. We also describe some of the physiological changes that occur immediately after the onset of recovery in these nematodes as revealed using fluorescent nucleic acid binding SYTO dyes. Although recovery could be monitored using morphological changes, we found that observation of the uptake of fluorescent latex microspheres by recovering nematodes was a far more sensitive and efficient means of detecting recovery. SYTO dyes were also found to be useful indicators of recovery, binding to the pharyngeal glands and genital primordia as little as 3 h after the onset of recovery. The use of SYTO dyes also indicated that the pharyngeal glands produce large quantities of RNA following the onset of recovery, implying that these structures may produce proteins important in the infection and/or feeding process of H. bacteriophora.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2002 Cambridge University Press

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