Author: F. Shahina and G. Mehreen

Publishing Date: 2014

E-ISSN: 0255-7576

Volume 32 Issue 2

ABSTRACT:

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) belong to families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae have proved as extremely useful biological control agents and infected a wide range of insect pests. Phylogenetic relationships among Pakistani entomopathogenic nematode strains; steinernematids and heterorhabditid were estimated by nucleotide sequences using three molecular makers viz; ITS-1, 5.8S and ITS-2 rDNA (seventy nine); D2-D3 and 28S (LSU) sequences of rDNA region (fifteen) and 12S rDNA mitochondrial gene (twenty nine) to investigate the genetic diversity. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using two different methods maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) in which most of them form highly to moderately supported clades.

Keywords: Phylogenetic relationship, Pakistani entomopathogenic nematode strains, ITS-1, 5.8S, ITS-2, D2- D3/28S, rDNA region, 12S rDNA mitochondrial gene