A Case Study Within the Genus Pratylenchus (Nematoda
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Nematology 19 (2017) 1179-1199 brill.com/nemy The pitfalls of molecular species identification: a case study within the genus Pratylenchus (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae) ∗ Toon JANSSEN 1,2, , Gerrit KARSSEN 3, Marjolein COUVREUR 1, ∗ Lieven WAEYENBERGE 4 and Wim BERT 1, 1 Nematology Research Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 2 Center for Medical Genetics, Reproduction and Genetics, Reproduction Genetics and Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, UZ Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium 3 National Plant Protection Organization, Wageningen Nematode Collection, P.O. Box 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, The Netherlands 4 ILVO, Crop Protection, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 96 bus 2, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium Received: 27 February 2017; revised: 13 September 2017 Accepted for publication: 13 September 2017; available online: 20 October 2017 Summary – Comprehensive morphological and molecular analyses revealed that published ITS sequences of the economically important plant-parasitic nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi are actually sequences from distantly free-living bacterivorous ‘cephalobids’. We demonstrated that this incorrect labelling resulted in a cascade of erroneous interpretations, as shown by the reports of ‘P. goodeyi’ on banana in China and on cotton in India. This clearly illustrates the risk of mislabelled sequences in public databases. Other mislabelled Pratylenchus cases are discussed to illustrate that this is not an isolated case. Herein, P. lentis n. syn. is considered a junior synonym of P. pratensis while P. flakkensis was for the first time linked to DNA sequences using topotype material. As taxonomic expertise is decreasing and sequence-based identification is growing rapidly, the highlighted problem may yet increase and a strong link between morphology and DNA sequences will be of crucial importance in order to prevent, or at least minimise, sequence-based misidentifications. Keywords – Acrobeloides cf. nanus, diagnostics, mislabelled sequences, molecular phylogeny, new synonym, Pratylenchus flakkensis, Pratylenchus goodeyi, Pratylenchus lentis n. syn., Pratylenchus pratensis, topotypes. Molecular taxonomy and DNA barcoding provide a Nilsson et al. (2006) estimate that up to 20% of fungal powerful tool for the identification of organisms and for sequences are actually misidentified. For eukaryotes, er- studying biodiversity (Hebert et al., 2003; Savolainen et roneous linking of sequence and organism was thought al., 2005; Kress & Erickson, 2008). Molecular identifi- to be relatively uncommon due to the availability of mor- cation is especially important for organisms for which phological characters for their identification (Nilsson et morphological diagnostic characteristics are scarce. Due al., 2006). However, this problem appears not to be re- to the decreasing price and increased availability of se- stricted to microbiology, as demonstrated here for Ne- quence instruments, the amount of sequence data avail- matoda, using three case studies within the genus Praty- able on public DNA databases has grown exponentially lenchus (Pratylenchidae). Many species of Pratylenchus over the last 10 years (Muir et al., 2016). However, a sub- are very difficult to identify morphologically, due to a stantial part of this sequence data appears to be incor- lack of robust diagnostic characters, morphological inter- rect, with faults ranging from sequence errors over mis- specific plasticity, and incomplete taxonomic descriptions assemblies to mislabelled, unlabelled, and misidentified (Castillo & Vovlas, 2007; Subbotin et al., 2008; Troccoli sequences. In microbiology where morphological infor- et al., 2016). As a result, DNA-based identification strate- mation is almost absent and identification is often purely gies are becoming more important (Waeyenberge et al., based on 16S rDNA sequences the problem is well known 2000, 2009; Al-Banna et al., 2004; Powers, 2004; Mokrini (Vilgalys, 2003; Nilsson et al., 2006; Lal & Lal, 2011). et al., 2013). * Corresponding authors, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2017 DOI 10.1163/15685411-00003117 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 03:12:39AM via free access T. Janssen et al. CASE STUDY 1: Pratylenchus goodeyi SHER & Castillo & Vovlas, 2007). Pratylenchus pratensis has ALLEN, 1953 been recorded in Africa (Algeria, Libya, South Africa), Asia (Azerbaijan, China, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan) and Pratylenchus goodeyi is considered a major pest of North America (Canada, Mexico, USA) but has mainly banana and plantain (Castillo & Vovlas, 2007). It was been reported from Europe, occurring in Belgium, Bul- originally described by Sher & Allen (1953) from Kew garia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Moldavia, Poland, Rus- Gardens in London from the roots of banana trees. Since sia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and The Netherlands on a then it has been reported from many banana-producing wide variety of crops (Castillo & Vovlas, 2007). Despite regions, especially from Africa and southern European the numerous morphological reports of P. pratensis, there countries: the Canary Islands (Spain), Crete (Greece) and is relatively little sequence information available for this Madeira (Portugal) (Castillo & Vovlas, 2007). In Africa, species. Nevertheless, seven 28S rDNA sequences were the parasite is often associated with higher altitudes and generated from five coastal areas in Belgium, Portugal, cooler temperatures (Price & Bridge, 1995). Surprisingly, Spain and the UK, by de la Peña et al. (2007). In addi- it has not been recorded in North or South America. tion five β-1,4-endoglucanase gene sequences, five 18S Pratylenchus goodeyi is differentiated from other root- rDNA sequences and two RNA polymerase II gene se- lesion nematodes by the presence of four lip annuli, quences were generated (Rybarczyk-Mydlowska et al., a large oblong spermathecal, and tail conoid, ventrally 2012, 2014) although morphological vouchers of these concave with a smooth tail tip (Sher & Allen, 1953; Loof, populations were not provided. In 2008, P. lentis Troccoli, 1991; Castillo & Vovlas, 2007). De Luca, Handoo & Di Vito, 2008, a taxon morphologi- In 2007, P. goodeyi was labelled as a cryptic species cally very similar to P. pratensis, was described parasitis- complex using sequence-based taxonomy (Waeyenberge, ing roots of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) in Sicily (Italy) 2007) and, in this study, five ITS sequences originating (Troccoli et al., 2008), the description being associated from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) were made pub- with 12 ITS sequences. In later studies, P. lentis appeared licly available (FJ712922-FJ712926). In 2011, another to be embedded within the P. fallax clade (Palomares- P. goodeyi population (FR692324) was reported from Rius et al., 2010), although this relationship has recently the Canary Islands by De Luca et al. (2011). Praty- been shown to be the result of a P. fallax misidentification lenchus goodeyi was also reported by Gokte-Narkhedkar (Janssen et al., 2017). et al. (2013) from cotton in India at three different lo- cations and six P. goodeyi sequences were deposited in GenBank (KF275665, KF700243, KF840454, KF840455, CASE STUDY 3: Pratylenchus flakkensis KF840456, KF856291). In 2015, P. goodeyi was reported SEINHORST, 1968 for the first time on banana in China (Zhang et al., 2015). Both Waeyenberge (2007) and De Luca et al. (2011) re- Pratylenchus flakkensis was originally described by ported a large discrepancy between P. goodeyi sequences Seinhorst (1968) from Middelharnis (The Netherlands) from different geographical locations. This could indicate from a heavy loam soil under grass. Seinhorst (1968) either the presence of a species complex, as suggested by also reported it from Ouddorp (The Netherlands) and Waeyenberge (2007), or alternatively it could point to in- from Beckenham (UK). Later, P. flakkensis was reported correctly labelled sequences as suggested by De Luca et by Ryss from Estonia and Russia (Ryss, 1986, 1988, al. (2011). 1992). Pratylenchus flakkensis appears to be geograph- ically widespread as it has also been recorded from CASE STUDY 2: Pratylenchus pratensis (DE MAN, Guadeloupe, Pakistan, Peru, and South Africa (Castillo 1880) FILIPJEV, 1936 & Vovlas, 2007). Despite the numerous morphological records of this species, no molecular data are currently Pratylenchus pratensis was originally described as Ty- available for the taxon. lenchus pratensis by de Man (1880). The species was In order unequivocally to link DNA sequences with the subsequently transferred to Anguillulina (Goffart, 1929) above mentioned species of Pratylenchus, and to clarify and then appointed as the type species of the newly their taxonomic status, the goals of these case studies erected genus Pratylenchus by Filipjev (1936). Later, were: i) to characterise these species using a combination P. helophilus Seinhorst, 1959 and P. irregularis Loof, of morphological characteristics and molecular sequences 1960 were synonymised with P. pratensis (Loof, 1974; from geographically different locations; ii) to determine 1180 Nematology Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 03:12:39AM via free access Pitfalls of molecular species identification their phylogenetic position within the genus; and iii)to of 4.5% Tween-20. The mixture was heated to 95°C for enable reliable molecular diagnostics. 15 min and, after cooling to room temperature, 40 μlof double-distilled water was added. PCR amplification was performed using Toptaq DNA