Characterization of surface coat (SC) proteins including
carbohydrate-binding proteins and glycoproteins of the plant-parasitic
nematode Meloidogyne javanica 2nd-stage juvenile (J2) is reported.
Extraction of surface proteins with sodium
dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and separation by denaturing polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) results with bands
at 6, 9, 14, 22, 26, 31, 46, 49, 58, 66, 80, 205 and 250 kDa. On Western
blots, the neoglycoprotein, fucosylated-,
mannosylated- and glucosylated-bovine serum albumin, reacted with the
14, 22, 26, 58 and 66 kDa bands. The lectins,
Concanavalin A and wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA) labelled surface protein
bands
of 6, 9, 14, 31, 58 and 66 kDa; WGA
also labelled the 22 and 26 kDa bands. Biotin reagents were used to specifically
trace surface proteins on live J2.
SDS–PAGE of biotinylated J2 extracts revealed only 2 specific biotin-protein
bands at 46 and 49 kDa. The labile and
transitory nature of Meloidogyne javanica SC was demonstrated
by the
dynamics of human red blood cells (HRBC)
adherence to J2 of different ages. HRBC adherence was also used to demonstrate
the SC recovery of detergent-treated
J2, which was further exhibited in the SDS–PAGE profiles.