Technological advancements and their importance for nematode identification
Nematodes represent a species-rich and morphologically diverse group of metazoans known to inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Their role as biological indicators and as key players in nutrient cycling has been well documented. Some plant-parasitic species are also known to cause sign...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-06-01
|
| Series: | SOIL |
| Online Access: | http://www.soil-journal.net/2/257/2016/soil-2-257-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | Nematodes represent a species-rich and morphologically diverse group of
metazoans known to inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Their
role as biological indicators and as key players in nutrient cycling has
been well documented. Some plant-parasitic species are also known to cause
significant losses to crop production. In spite of this, there still exists
a huge gap in our knowledge of their diversity due to the enormity of time
and expertise often involved in characterising species using phenotypic
features. Molecular methodology provides useful means of complementing the
limited number of reliable diagnostic characters available for
morphology-based identification. We discuss herein some of the limitations
of traditional taxonomy and how molecular methodologies, especially the use
of high-throughput sequencing, have assisted in carrying out large-scale
nematode community studies and characterisation of phytonematodes through
rapid identification of multiple taxa. We also provide brief descriptions of
some the current and almost-outdated high-throughput sequencing platforms
and their applications in both plant nematology and soil ecology. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2199-3971 2199-398X |