Search

Summary We analysed the effect of the invasive perennial plant Heracleum sosnowskyi on soil nematode communities and diversity, and plant species composition, by comparing invaded and non-invaded (control) areas in natural conditions. Invasion of H. sosnowskyi caused significant shifts in plant species composition, which subsequently modified nematode assemblages. Stress-sensitive omnivores, fungivores and root-biomass-dependent obligate plant parasites best reflected changes in soil nematode communities under the influence of H. sosnowskyi invasion. The negative effect of H. sosnowskyi was most evident on Aphelenchus, Tylencholaimus, Geocenamus, Helicotylenchus, Pratylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus and Aporcelaimellus. Our results indicate that significant changes in the herbaceous layer after H. sosnowskyi invasion in ecosystems where H. sosnowskyi eventually became dominant impacted soil nematode communities but did not affect nematode diversity. This was in contrast to the habitats where a solitary plant of H. sosnowskyi grew and no significant changes in nematode communities were observed.

Maize (Zea mays) is a major crop that is cultivated worldwide. It is susceptible to many pathogens, including root-knot nematodes (RKN, Meloidogyne spp.). RKN have a wide host range that includes many monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Infection with RKN induces changes in gene expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) and other defense-related proteins. We examined the expression levels of genes encoding selected maize proteins that are involved in the early stages of plant responses to M. arenaria infection, including those associated with the salicylic acid (SA) or jasmonic acid (JA) pathways. The relative expression levels of genes encoding PR proteins (PR-1, PR-3, PR-4, PR-5, PR-10) and other genes associated with stress responses (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, lipoxygenase and glutathione-S-transferase) were measured using quantitative real-time PCR. Four varieties of maize with different susceptibilities to M. arenaria infection were examined at three different time points after inoculation. We found differences in plant responses between the different maize varieties and between the different time points. Most of the genes examined were down-regulated during the earliest stage of infection, and their expression increased 3 d after inoculation. The most obvious differences in expression responses between tolerant and susceptible maize varieties were found for the PR-3, PR-4 and PR-5 genes. We also found significant differences in responses to M. arenaria infection in monocotyledonous maize in comparison with previous reports in dicotyledons. Our results suggest a role for PR-3, PR-4 and PR-5 in maize resistance to M. arenaria and the importance of both the SA- and JA-mediated pathways in maize plant defenses.

The plant parasitic nematode Longidorus poessneckensis found in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and the Slovak Republic was molecularly characterized. Mitochondrial genes encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 4 (nad4), the D2 and D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA and Internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) rRNA were sequenced for 16 L. poessneckensis populations. Six haplotypes of COI and five haplotypes of nad4 were determined. Nucleotide intraspecific variation was up to 17.1% for the partial sequenced COI gene and up to 17.7% for the partial sequenced nad4 gene, the latter being the highest up to date known intraspecific variation in this genus. The analyses of multiple amino acid sequence alignments of mitochondrial genes revealed low variability (0–2.4%) for COI gene and high divergence (0–7.6%) for nad4 gene. Intraspecific sequence diversity for the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA gene was up to 1.2% and for ITS1 rRNA gene was up to 1.6%. It has been hypothesized, that during the Last Glacial Maximum, L. poessneckensis populations probably persisted in refuge areas in the Carpathian Mountains and subsequently expanding from these areas and colonizing other European regions.

The genus Ditylenchus consists of more than 60 species, some of which are plant parasites. In this paper we report on Ditylenchus laurae sp. n. from Poland, a new species associated with the aquatic plant, Potamogeton perfoliatus L. Ditylenchus laurae sp. n. is characterised by a long and slender body with L = 1881 (1523-2095) μm and 1875 (1690-2089) μm, a = 88.8 (72.5-102.5) and 89.7 (71.9-97.9), stylet length = 10.8 (9.6-12.1) μm and 8.3 (7.7-9.0) μm, tail length = 117.2 (103.5-126.7) μm and 102.4 (98.3-113.6) μm in females and males, respectively; four incisures, rounded stylet knobs, long basal bulb (about ten times as long as wide), post-vulval uterine sac from 4.3-5.6 vulval body diam. long, and mucronate tail. Characterisation using the ITS rRNA, COI and hsp90 gene sequences was conducted and a phylogenetic analyses revealed that D. laurae sp. n. belongs to the D. dipsaci complex.

Paralongidorus rex was found for the first time in Poland and Ukraine. This paper describes females and juveniles from four populations of this species on the basis of morphology and morphometrics and provides molecular characterization using 18S, ITS1 and D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene sequences. Morphometrically, females from these populations differed slighty in V ratio (means in four populations: 41.9; 42.7; 46.1; 46.8) and odontostylet length (166.6; 170.6; 191.5; 193.2). Phylogenetic analysis showed that P. rex had a sister relationship with P. iranicus. PCR-D2-D3 of 28S-RFLP diagnostic profiles with five enzymes are given. Additionally, information on new host plants and map of distribution for P. rex are provided. The new record of this nematode species, previously identified as Paralongidorus sp. (GenBank: AY601582) from Slovakia, is defined based on comparison of sequences of the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene. Finally, remarks on the potential importance of this species in grapevine production are given.

Tigronehoides andrassyi sp. nov. from Baltic coastal dune in Poland is described and illustrated. New species is characterized by medium body length (females 2.25–2.65 mm, males 2.27–2.72 mm), spacious buccal cavity (females 57.1-60.0 × 49.3-53.9 µm, males 49.5-52.4 × 41.2-43.3 µm), relatively high position of teeth apices (females 29.2–33.6%, males 39.9–42.5% ), longitudinal vulva with clearly separated sclerotizations, short and evenly tapered tail with cone-shaped posterior part.

The list of species of the plant parasitic nematodes presented in this paper (133 species belonging to 14 families) is based on the results of faunistic research conducted in the Wielkopolska region by Polish nematologists up until the year 2010, and the results obtained from the project “Elaboration of Innovative Methods for Rapid Identification of Nematodes Causing Damage to the Economy” managed by the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. During the two years of the project (2010-2011) we found 21 species of nematodes which had not yet been reported in the list of species from the Wielkopolska region. Two of them were reported for the first time in Poland.

Longidorus poessneckensis Altherr, 1974 and L. piceicola Liskova, Robbins & Brown, 1997 (Nematoda: Longidoridae) represent new records from Poland. These two species are described and illustrated together with a male and bivulval female of L. poessneckensis. In its general morphology and morphometrics, the male of L. poessneckensis is similar to the females, but has a spicule 100 μm long and one adanal pair, two double and a row of six single ventromedian supplements. Comments on the differential diagnosis of L. poessneckensis and two morphologically related species, L. uroshis Krnjaic, Lamberti, Krnjaic, Agostinelli & Radicci, 2000 and L. macrosoma Hooper, 1961 are given.

Summary The area of vineyards in Poland is about 350 ha and it is increasing every year. The main viticulture regions are located in southern and western Poland. Most of them are home-garden vineyards and grapes are used for non-commercial produce of vine. Among plant parasitic nematodes there are several species that can be harmful to grapevine. Despite that, up to date there were no studies carried out on the occurrence of those nematodes in Polish vineyards. However, as the popularity of viticulture production in Poland has been increasing, it would be worthwhile to conduct studies on this group of parasitic nematodes. Here we present preliminary results on the occurrence of species from the plant parasitic nematodes families: Criconematidae, Hoplolaimidae, Longidoridae, Paratylenchidae, Telotylenchidae, Trichodoridae and Xiphinematidae. Study was based on 22 soil samples from 8 vinyards located in malopolskie, podkarpackie and świetokrzyskie provinces. Twenty-two species of plant parasitic nematodes were detected: 7 from the family Hoplolaimidae, 6 from both Criconematidae and Telotylenchidae, 2 from Paratylenchidae and 1 from Xiphinematidae. No species from families Longidoridae and Trichodoridae were found.

The aim of the article is to present trophic types (i.e non-systematic groups feeding on the same kind of food) of the nematodes. Seven trophic types (covering all known species) are described: (1) microbivores (nematodes feeding on unicellular microorganisms) with two examples: C. elegans and the nematodes of two families: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae, (2) parasites of Vertebrates, (3) parasites of Invertebrates with example of the family Acugutturidae, (4) parasites of plants with two examples: Tylenchorhynchus dubius and Heterodera schachtii, (5) parasites of fungi, (6) predatory nematodes, (7) omnivores (nematodes feeding on different kinds of food). Basic information on the anatomy of the alimentary canal and feeding behaviour of the nematodes are also provided.

This paper presents the first geographical record of the needle nematode Longidorus artemisiae Rubtsova, Chizhov & Subbotin, 1999 outside Russia. This species was found in Poland near the city of Skierniewice in association with nettle (Urtica dioica L.). Morphometric and morphological data are provided, including the first description of juveniles of this species. Nematodes of the Polish population differ from the type-population in Russia in possessing a thicker body (lower ‘a’ index) in both sexes; males having a longer body and longer spicules; different sex ratio (1:2 in Polish population vs 1:1 in the type-population) and somewhat less expanded lips. Molecularly, the Polish population was characterised by sequencing D2-D3 28S rDNA and ITS1 markers. Additionally, new data on these two markers are provided for another species, Longidorus juglandicola Liskova, Robbins & Brown, 1997, obtained from topotype specimens from Slovakia. Surprisingly, despite the high morphological similarity of these two species, analysis of their phylogenetic position did not show close phylogenetic relation and several other species (less similar in general morphology) appeared more closely related to both L. artemisiae and L. juglandicola.