Phenotypic characterization of the Xenorhabdus bacterial symbiont of a Texas strain of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema riobrave , and characterization of the Xenorhabdus bovienii bacterial symbiont of a Newfoundland strain of Steinernema feltiae

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Microbiology
• Main Authors: He, Hongjun, Gordon, Roger, Gow, John A
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2000
• Subjects: Genetics; Molecular Biology; Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; General Medicine; Immunology; Microbiology; Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/w00-036; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/w00-036

Two bacterial symbionts of entomopathogenic nematodes, one of which originated from Texas, U.S.A., and the other from Newfoundland, Canada, were characterized phenotypically. These strains belonged to the genus Xenorhabdus. The Newfoundland (NF) strain was shown to be X. bovienii but the Texas (TX) strain was not identified at the species level. Four additional cultures of Xenorhabdus were included in the study. These were a strain of X. bovienii (Umeå), which was from a nematode of European origin, and strains of X. nematophilus, X.beddingii, and X.poinarii. The tests used in this study indicated identical properties for the NF (North American) and Umeå (European) strains of X. bovienii. These could be differentiated from the other strains studied by their failure to grow at 34°C and resistance to low concentrations of a mixture of amoxilline and clavulanic acid. The Xenorhabdus TX strain could be differentiated from the other strains studied by its failure to grow at 10°C. Of the tests done, approximately 30 were useful in distinguishing between the strains and species studied.Key words: symbionts, nematode, Steinernema, Xenorhabdus, Xenorhabdus bovienii.