JOURNAL of NEMATOLOGY Molecular Approach to Confirm
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JOURNAL OF NEMATOLOGY Article | DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2020-020 e2020-20 | Vol. 52 Molecular approach to confirm traditional identification of Radopholus similis sampled in Tanzania Doreen M. Mgonja1, 2,*, Gladness E. Temu1, Joseph C. Ndunguru2, Abstract 3 Magreth F. Mziray , Banana (Musa spp. L.) is an important staple food and cash crop 1,4 Sylvester L. Lyantagaye for about 30% of the population in Tanzania; however, the burrowing 3 and Nessie D. Luambano plant-parasitic nematode Radopholus similis causes black head 1College of Natural and Applied disease and toppling in banana plants, which results in yield losses. Sciences, University of Dar es We collected and identified 80 specimens ofR. similis from four agro- Salaam, P.O. Box 35091, Dar es ecological zones in Tanzania using morphological characters. We Salaam, Tanzania. then used universal and specific R. similis primers to amplify the small 2Tanzania Agricultural Research subunit, internal transcribed spacer and large subunit of ribosomal Institute, Mikocheni, P.O. Box 6226, DNA regions of these specimens. The amplicons were subsequently Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. sequenced and analyzed using Bayesian inference. We identified two major clades, one that comprised all R. similis sequences 3 Tanzania Agricultural Research derived from this study and another that included R. similis and Institute, Kibaha, P.O. Box 30031, Radopholus spp. sequences obtained from GenBank, indicating the Kibaha, Tanzania. separation of this species from congeneric sequences. Our findings 4Mbeya College of Health and provide a useful, simple and rapid method for identifying burrowing Allied Sciences, University of Dar nematodes. This outcome could contribute to the development of es Salaam, P.O. Box 608, Mbeya, permanent, integrated pest management strategies for the control Tanzania. of R. similis in banana and other crops in order to reduce associated yield losses in Tanzania. To our knowledge, this is the first study of *E-mail: [email protected] nematodes to use combined morphological and molecular methods This paper was edited by for the identification of R. similis in Tanzania. Erik J. Ragsdale. Received for publication Keywords August 2 2019. Banana, Burrowing nematodes, Genetic variation, Musa spp., Pest management, Plant-parasitic nematodes, Taxonomy. Banana (Musa spp. L.) is a key food crop in rural and to be used by small-scale farmers as they involve the urban areas of the humid tropics, with an annual use of hot water and expensive nematicides, many global production of up to 100mn tons (FAO, 2015). In of which are environmentally hazardous (Van, 2013). East Africa, banana is widely consumed and provides Thus, burrowing nematode species need rapid and approximately 10% of the calorific intake for more accurate identification in order to allow development of than 70mn people (Kilimo Trust, 2012). In Tanzania, in alternative and permanent sustainable management particular, it is a staple food and cash crop for more strategies specific to R. similis (Kaplan et al., 2000). than 30% of the total population (Nkuba, 2007). This would contribute to achieving the estimated Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) are the principal annual banana production potential of 10 Mt/ha in pests of banana in Tanzania, adversely affecting Tanzania (Kilimo Trust, 2012). Morphological features banana production by causing up to 50% yield losses have been used in the identification ofR. similis (Coyne, 2009). However, the effective management of in Tanzania (Speijer and De Waele, 2001; Coyne, R. similis in banana crops is problematic, because the 2009). More recent research suggests that the limited control strategies available at present tend not use of only morphological features increases the 1 © 2020 Authors. This is an Open Access article licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Molecular identification of R. similis: Mgonja et al. risk of misidentification (Handoo et al., 2016; Wang offset and knob-shaped head; degenerated pharynx et al., 2016). Thus, additional identification methods, and stylet with very small stylet knobs in males (Siddiqi, particularly molecular-based identification, which 2000). Extracted nematodes were placed on a glass requires a small amount of nucleic acid extracted slide with 10 to 20 µl of sddH2O, and specimens were from a single individual, will allow more accurate then further observed under a compound microscope nematode identification, regardless of developmental (Leica 2500, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Wetzler, stage (Handoo et al., 2016). The present study Germany) at 20× magnification to confirm initial aimed to characterize R. similis using a combined identification based on morphology. Nematodes were morphological and morphometric approach and to identified from digital photographs (40× magnification) confirm its identity using rDNA sequencing. and under 100× magnification with oil immersion. They were measured according to parameters described by Materials and methods Handoo et al. (2016). Nematode populations Molecular characterization We collected 314 root samples from 104 smallholder PCR amplification of small subunit (SSU), internal farms distributed across four agro-ecological zones of transcribed spacers 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) and large Tanzania, comprising three on the mainland (Kagera subunit (LSU) of rDNA regions of nematodes collected region in the Lake zone, Mbeya and Ruvuma regions from the four agro-ecological zones were used for in the Southern Highlands zone, and Kilimanjaro and molecular characterization of R. similis. Arusha regions in the Northern zone) and one on the The DNA extraction was carried out according to Zanzibar islands of Unguja and Pemba. Out of 24 the protocol described by Ye et al. (2015). A single fields, 10 were surveyed in each region. The variation adult R. similis nematode was removed from the glass on the number of fields surveyed from one region to microscope slide previously used for morphological another was due to the availability of banana fields. analysis thus, made a total of 20 DNA samples from Three samples of 10 to 15-cm lengths, each weighing each zone. approximately 20 g, of banana roots were collected randomly from each banana field as described by PCR amplification, cleaning Luambano et al. (2019). and sequencing Nematode extraction and identification The extracted DNAs were used for PCR amplification, using universal primers 18S965/18S1573R GGCGAT Nematode extraction was done using a modified CAGATACCGCCCTAGTT/TACAAAGGGCAGGGAC Baermann’s method as explained by Coyne et al. GTAAT (Mullin et al., 2005) and rDNA2/rDNA 1.58 S TT (2007), by which 5 g of banana roots were extracted GATTACGTTCCCTGCCCTTT/ACGAGCCGAGTG from each sample. The extracted material was ATCCACCG (Vrain et al., 1992; Cherry et al., 1997) to subsequently incubated for 24 hr, after which a amplify the SSU & ITS1 rDNA regions, respectively, for dissecting microscope (Leica MZ 9.5, Heerbrugg, the preliminary identification of R. similis. Additional Switzerland) was used to observe nematodes from species-specific primers were designed including; the extracted material. primers RD1f/RD1r (ACTGAGCCGATTCGAGAAATC/ ATGATTTGGAAAAGCTGCCAATTT); RS3ITSF/RS3IT Morphological and morphometric SR (CTGTGAGTCGTGGAGCAGTT/ATGATTTGGAAAA characterization GCTGCCAAT) and RS4ITSF/RS4ITSR (TGTAGTCC ATGTCCGTGGC/TGATTTGGAAAAGCTGCCAATTT) From the 314 banana root samples, more than which amplify the ITS1 & ITS2 and primers RS8LSUF/ 20 nematodes were extracted from each zone. In RS8LSUR (AGGACGTGAAACCGGTGAGG/TATACCC total, 20 (10 males and 10 females) were picked for AAGTCAGACGATCG) and RS6LSUF/RS6LSUR (CTGG morphological and morphometric characterization CGTATCTAGCCTGCAT/TTTACACCGAGGATT under a dissecting microscope (Leica MZ 9.5) based GGCGT), which target the LSU rDNA regions for on characters associated with R. similis including: confirmation of morphological identification. These presence of three to four lip annuli; long stylet with primers were designed using the Primer3 and BLAST rounded and flattened basal knobs; elongated tail with tool from the NCBI site (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. pointed terminus and vulva positioned slightly below gov/tools/primer-blast/) and synthesized by the mid body (54-55%) in females; presence of a strongly Bioneer Corporation, Daejeon, Republic of South 2 JOURNAL OF NEMATOLOGY Korea. The specificity of each primer to amplify target lip annuli; the long stylet was well developed with nematode species was evaluated using pretested rounded and flattened basal knobs; excretory pores DNA for R. similis, P. goodeyi and P. coffeae, which were present at the esophago-intestinal junction; were obtained by PCR amplification using universal the tail was elongated with a pointed terminus; the primers 18S965/18S1573R and rDNA2/rDNA1.58 S pharyngeal gland dorsally overlapped the intestine; and species were determined by sequencing. and the vulva was positioned post equatorial, with The PCR amplification using the designed primers approximately 54 to 55% of body length at the was done as described by Ye et al. (2015). The anterior (Fig. 1A-F). In males, the body was slender thermocycler conditions for amplification comprised and ventrally curved; the pharynx and stylet were initial denaturation at 94°C for 3 min, followed by 35 degenerated with very small stylet knobs and an cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 30 sec, annealing indistinct median bulb; head was strongly offset and for 45 sec at 55°C