Project Number: 5348-22000-013-04
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Oct 01, 2007
End Date: Jun 30, 2010

Objective:
Twenty strains of Pseudomonas spp. have been identified as lethal to the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The objectives of the project are to determine whether the Pseudomonas strains also are lethal to the plant-parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne incognita (root-knot nematode of soybean) and Pratelynchus scribneri (root-lesion nematode of corn); to identify common anti-nematode metabolites produced by the strains; and to determine how aggressively each strain colonizes nematodes and roots of corn, soybean and wheat.

Approach:
Greenhouse assays will be conducted to determine the effect of Pseudomonas soil treatments on nematode disease symptoms, and nematode and egg populations on host plant roots. Pseudomonas knock-out mutants that no longer inhibit the model nematode will be generated and tested in greenhouse assays. Inhibitory metabolites will be quantified from each strain in culture using HPLC and PDA spectroscopy. The nematode-colonizing ability of the strains will be determined using GFP-tagged bacteria and fluorescent confocal microscopy. Their root-colonizing ability (rhizosphere competence) will be determined from population densities measurements on roots over four successive plantings in Pseudomonas-treated soil. Documents Trsut with Danforth Plant Science Center. Log 32935.