Characterisation of an endospore population of Pasteuria that adheres to the plant-parasitic nematode Heterodera schachtii

Summary Selected strains of Pasteuria species from the endospore-forming Gram-positive bacteria group have potential to be developed into control agents for plant-parasitic nematodes. If is deployed successfully as a agent, endospores bacterium initially adhere cuticle infective juvenile. Studies isolated root-knot nematodes suggested that collagen-like fibres on endospore surface interact with receptor second-stage juvenile through host specific ‘Velcro-like’ mechanism. However, very little known regarding biochemical nature mechanism in cyst Here, using several polyclonal antibodies raised whole and synthetic peptides, we compare two populations, one strain nematode, Meloidogyne javanica , another cowpea Heterodera cajani . We demonstrate there differential adhesion beet nematode H. schachtii sugar moieties may protect proteolytic digestion involved endospore’s specificity.