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Detection and Analysis of Wolbachia in Plant-Parasitic Nematodes and Insights into Wolbachia Evolution

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Wolbachia

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2739))

Abstract

Since the discovery of Wolbachia in plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), there has been increased interest in this earliest branching clade that may hold important clues to early transitions in Wolbachia function in the Ecdysozoa. However, due to the specialized skills and equipment of nematology and the difficulty in culturing most PPNs, these PPN-type Wolbachia remain undersampled and poorly understood. To date, there are few established laboratory methods for working with PPN-type Wolbachia strains, and most research has relied on chance discovery and comparative genomics. Here, we address this challenge by providing detailed methods to assist researchers with more efficiently collecting PPNs and screen these communities, populations, or single nematodes with a newly developed PPN-type Wolbachia-specific PCR assay. We provide an overview of the typical yields and outcomes of these methods, to facilitate further targeted cultivation or experimental methods, and finally we provide a short introduction to some of the specific challenges and solutions in following through with comparative or population genomics on PPN-type Wolbachia strains.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (Award 2047684) and United Stated Dept of Agriculture NIFA (Award 20216701335757) to A.M.V.B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Amandeep Kaur & Amanda M. V. Brown

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  1. Amandeep Kaur
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Correspondence to Amanda M. V. Brown .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA

    Ann M. Fallon

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Kaur, A., Brown, A.M.V. (2024). Detection and Analysis of Wolbachia in Plant-Parasitic Nematodes and Insights into Wolbachia Evolution. In: Fallon, A.M. (eds) Wolbachia. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2739. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3553-7_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3553-7_7

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