Characterisation of cereal cyst nematodes in Egypt based on morphometrics, RFLP and rDNA-ITS sequence analyses

Abstract

Morphological and molecular diversity among populations of cereal cyst nematodes (CCN) from wheat production areas in Ismailia province, Egypt, was investigated using light microscopy, ITS-RFLP and sequencing of the rDNA-ITS. CCN were found in five out of seven regions in Ismailia, the highest incidence being found in El Shark (West Sinai). The Egyptian populations were identified as H. avenae according to morphometrics of cyst vulval cone and second-stage juveniles. No differences in ITS-RFLP patterns generated by 17 restriction enzymes were detected among the Egyptian populations although the Egyptian populations could be distinguished from German populations of H. avenae and H. filipjevi. The analyses of ITS region sequences confirmed the species identification of the Egyptian populations as they clustered with H. avenae populations from Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Israel and China.