Phylogenetic analysis of nematodes of the genus Pratylenchus using nuclear 26S rDNA

We used nucleotide sequences of the large subunit ribosomal genes (26S rDNA) to examine evolutionary relationships among species of the genus Pratylenchus (Order: Tylenchida, Family: Pratylenchidae), commonly known as root-lesion nematodes. Ten species of Pratylenchus were studied including, P. penetrans, P. crenatus, P. minyus, P. vulnus, P. thornei, P. musicola, P. coffeae, P. hexincisus, P. scribneri, and P. brachyurus. The species Hirschmanniella belli, Meloidogyne javanica, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Nacobbus aberrans, Radopholus similis, and Xiphinema index were used as outgroups. Based on parsimony analyses of approximately 307 aligned nucleotides of the D3 expansion region of the 26S rDNA, it is clear that species of Pratylenchus are a paraphyletic assemblage. The outgroup taxon H. belli shares a common ancestor with the clade that includes P. vulnus and P. crenatus while N. aberrans and R. similis share a common ancestor with 5 other species included in this study.