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Reproduction of Pasteuria penetrans in a Tissue-Culture System Containing Meloidogyne javanica and Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Transformed Roots. S. Verdejo, Department of Nematology, University of California, Davis 95616, Present address: IRTA, Departamento de Patologia Vegetal Centro de Investigacion Agraria, Crta. de Cabrils s/n. 08348 Cabrils, Barcelona, Spain; B. A. Jaffee, Department of Nematology, University of California, Davis 95616. Phytopathology 78:1284-1286. Accepted for publication 22 April 1988. Copyright 1988 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-78-1284.

A three-component tissue-culture system for the study of Pasteuria penetrans biology and for gnotobiotic production of spores is described. Meloidogyne javanica juveniles with or without P. penetrans spores were added to plates in which Agrobacterium rhizogenes-transformed tomato or potato roots were growing on solid Gamborg’s B5 medium. After 39 days, both parasitized and nonparasitized females were observed on P. penetrans cultures. Although at least one spore was attached to the cuticle of each juvenile added to such root cultures, only one third of the adult females became infected with P. penetrans. The bacterium infected similar numbers of females in potato- and tomato-root cultures. Nematode reproduction (eggs/female) and spore production (spores/infected female) were much greater on tomato- than potato-root cultures. Trends toward lower numbers of eggs/culture and increased numbers of eggs/healthy female were observed in cultures inoculated with P. penetrans.