Morphometric and Genetic Variability Among Tylenchulus semipenetrans Populations from Citrus Growing Area in Korea

Tylenchulus semipenetrans, citrus nematode is an important phytopathogenic nematode and responsible for serious damage on citrus. However, little information is available about genetic variability of T semipenetrans among different populations with variation of conventional diagnostic characteristics. In this study, we compared the morphometric and genetic characteristics among different populations. The mature female of T semipenetrans collected in this study had thicker cuticle than those in the previous studies. In comparative sequence analysis of T semipenetrans populations obtained from Jeju in Korea, we observed genetic variations within clones generated from single individuals. To determine whether variability among copies of nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences exists in the genome of T semipenetrans, PCR-RFLP technique from individuals of Korean isolates with MseI and MspI restriction enzymes was used to prove experimentally that all populations have intra-specific variations. Restriction enzyme digestion created several fragments on 3.0% agarose gel corresponding to several haplotypes in all populations, though some populations displayed fragment deletion. The total length of fragments was larger than before digestion, indicating sequence heterogeneity within the genome of T semipenetrans.