Tandemly repeated sequences known as satellite DNA (satDNA) generally exhibit complex evolutionary patterns of concerted evolution in which mutations are homogenized and fixed in a stochastic process of molecular drive. Here, the nucleotidic variability of the MspI satDNA family of the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is analyzed in order to understand the evolutionary dynamics of satDNA at the intraspecific level. A total of 425 MspI monomer units, either PCR-amplified from isolates of local (Peninsula of Setúbal, Portugal) or worldwide origin, or retrieved from the B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, native to North America, is the causative agent of pine wilt disease and among the most important invasive forest pests in the East-Asian countries, such as Japan and China. Since 1999, it has been found in Europe in the Iberian Peninsula, where it also causes significant damage. In a previous study, 94 pairs of microsatellite primers have been identified in silico in the pinewood nematode genome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn eukaryotes, repeat proteins (i.e. proteins that contain a tandem arrangement of repeated structural elements) are often considered as an extra source of variability, and gains and losses of repeats may be an important force driving the evolution and diversification of such proteins, that could allow fast adaptation to new environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFABSTRACT The species X. index, X. diversicaudatum, X.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSUMMARY The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a major pathogen of conifers, which impacts on forest health, natural ecosystem stability and international trade. As a consequence, it has been listed as a quarantine organism in Europe. A real-time PCR approach based on TaqMan chemistry was developed to detect this organism.
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