Attachment tests of Pasteuria penetrans to the cuticle of plant and animal parasitic nematodes, free living nematodes and srf mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Populations of Pasteuria penetrans isolated from root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and cyst nematodes (Heterodera spp.) were tested for their ability to adhere to a limited selection of sheathed and ex-sheathed animal parasitic nematodes, free living nematodes, including Caenorhabditis elegans wild type and several srf mutants, and plant parasitic nematodes. The attachment of spores of Pasteuria was restricted and no spores were observed adhering to any of the animal parasitic nematodes either with or without their sheath or to any of the free living nematodes including C. elegans and the srf mutants. All spore attachment was restricted to plant parasitic nematodes; however, spores isolated from cyst nematodes showed the ability to adhere to other genera of plant parasitic nematodes which was not the case with spores isolated from root-knot nematodes. The results are discussed in relationship to cuticular heterogeneity.