Dolan, K.M. and Jones, J.T. and Burnell, Ann (2002) Detection of changes occurring during recovery from the dauer stage in Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Parasitology, 125. pp. 71-81.

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Abstract

Nematodes of the genus Heterorhabditis are insect parasites that are widely used as biological control agents. When conditions are unfavourable for reproduction in H . bacteriophora, a long-lived, non-feeding, survival and dispersal stage, the dauer juvenile (DJ), is formed. This DJ stage is also adapted for host finding and infection. When it infects a suitable host, the DJ recovers and resumes growth and development. We describe a series of methods for improved detection of recovery in H . bacteriophora. We also describe some of the physiological changes that occur immediately after the onset of recovery in these nematodes as revealed using fluorescent nucleic acid binding SYTO dyes. Although recovery could be monitored using morphological changes, we found that observation of the uptake of fluorescent latex microspheres by recovering nematodes was a far more sensitive and efficient means of detecting recovery. SYTO dyes were also found to be useful indicators of recovery, binding to the pharyngeal glands and genital primordia as little as 3 h after the onset of recovery. The use of SYTO dyes also indicated that the pharyngeal glands produce large quantities of RNA following the onset of recovery, implying that these structures may produce proteins important in the infection and/or feeding process of H . bacteriophora.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Dauer recovery; gland cells; Heterorhabditis; SYTO dyes;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
Item ID:	190
Depositing User:	Prof. Ann Burnell
Date Deposited:	27 Jan 2005
Journal or Publication Title:	Parasitology
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Refereed:	Yes
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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