title: Strains of Photorhabdus spp. associated with polish Heterorhabditis isolates: their molecular and phenotypic characterization and symbiont exchange.
abstract: The relationships between six bacterial symbionts of the entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Heterorhabditis megidis from Poland to species and subspecies of the genus Photorhabdus were evaluated. This study was based on phylogenetic analysis of sequence data of five genes: 16S rRNA, gyrB, recA, gltX, and dnaN. The bacteria were also characterized phenotypically by biochemical and physiological tests. Our results have revealed that the Photorhabdus strains isolated from H. megidis belong to P. temperata, subsp. temperata and subsp. cinerea. Isolates from H. bacteriophora represent P. luminescens subs. kayaii and P. temperata subs. cinerea. This study for the first time provides evidence for H. bacteriophora and P. temperata subsp. cinerea symbiotic association. In addition, we tested whether the microsymbionts of the Polish H. bacteriophora and H. megidis isolates support the development of non-native nematode host population and colonization of their infective juveniles. It has been shown that the studied Photorhabdus strains can readily swap their nematode host, both at intra- and interspecies level. It supports the hypothesis of different symbiotic associations in the Heterorhabditis-Photorhabdus lineage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biocontrol, Application and Production of EPN, Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1J, 20-708, Lublin, Poland. wklublin@tlen.pl.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8576-4701
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kazimierczak
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ultrastructure and Electron Microscopy, Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1F, 20-708, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Henryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Skrzypek
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biocontrol, Application and Production of EPN, Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1J, 20-708, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sajnaga
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biocontrol, Application and Production of EPN, Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1J, 20-708, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skowronek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Human Nutrition and Science of Food Commodities, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Skromna 8, 20-704, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waśko
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biocontrol, Application and Production of EPN, Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1J, 20-708, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreft
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D027081:DNA Gyrase / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D020043:Genes, Essential / Q000235:genetics; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010641:Phenotype; D020637:Photorhabdus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D011044:Poland; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D011938:Rec A Recombinases; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; C083980:dnaN protein, Bacteria; D027081:DNA Gyrase
keywords: Entomopathogenic nematodes; Heterorhabditis; Photorhabdus; Phylogeny; Symbiont exchange; Symbiosis