PROTEIN-ANALYSIS OF ROOT-LESION NEMATODES USING SDS-PAGE

Pratylenchus spp. are an economically important group of nematodes tha t are often morphologically similar. Comparisons of total protein patt erns analyzed by SDS-PAGE with silver staining resulted in at least on e to three distinct protein bands for differentiating the following sp ecies:P. vulnus (27.5 kDa), P. scribneri (38.4 kDa), P. goodeyi (63.1 and 31.6 kDa), P. coffeae (61.6 kDa), P. thornei (100 kDa and absence of a 77 kDa band present in all populations), Radopholus similis (105 kDa), and a protein of 24.5 kDa shared by R. similis and P. goodeyi, b ut missing in the other populations. Results show that this biochemica l method can be useful for diagnosis at the interspecific level, at le ast for Pratylenchus species of major economic importance. The main li mitation is to provide an abundant and pure source of the nematode spe cies.