Differences in Feeding Sites Induced by Root-Knot Nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., in Chickpea

ABSTRACT Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are sedentary, obligate endoparasites in plants, where they induce specialized feeding sites. The feeding sites act as strong metabolic sinks to which photosynthates are mobilized. The histopathological modifications in the nematode-induced feeding sites of artificially inoculated chickpea cv. UC 27 were qualitatively and quantitatively compared using five isolates of M. artiellia and one isolate each of M. arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica. All Meloidogyne isolates infected chickpea plants, but root gall thickening was significantly less for M. artiellia isolates than for the other Meloidogyne species. Nevertheless, neither the number of giant cells in the feeding site (averaging four to six) nor the area of individual giant cells was influenced by nematode species or isolate. However, the number of nuclei per giant cell was significantly smaller, and the maximum diameters of nuclei and nucleoli were significantly greater, in giant cells induced by M. artiellia isolates than in those induced by M. arenaria, M. incognita, or M. javanica. In a second experiment, M. artiellia-induced giant cells in faba bean and rapeseed also contained a small number of large nuclei.