Ljm. Gerritsen et Ph. Smits, VARIATION IN PATHOGENICITY OF RECOMBINATIONS OF HETERORHABDITIS AND XENORHABDUS-LUMINESCENS STRAINS, Fundamental and applied nematology, 16(4), 1993, pp. 367-373
Xenorhabdus luminescens isolates were exchanged between four insect pa
thogenic nematode strains: two different Heterorhabditis isolates from
the Netherlands and two different Heterorhabditis bacteriophora isola
tes. Of the sixteen possible combinations three combinations, of Dutch
nematodes with bacteria of H. bacteriophora, were not able to grow an
d multiply. Of the thirteen combinations that could be propagated the
four combinations of H. bacteriophora nematodes with bacteria from the
Dutch nematodes were not pathogenic. When waxmoth larvae were injecte
d with bacteria, the four non-pathogenic combinations were able to pen
etrate and multiply in these larvae. This showed that the lack of path
ogenicity of these four combinations was due to the absence of bacteri
a. Both H. bacteriophora strains penetrated insect larvae in lower num
bers than both Dutch Heterorhabditis strains, independent what bacteri
um they were carrying.