{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T00:39:43Z","timestamp":1773016783752,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,14]],"date-time":"2021-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1628899200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CEECIND\/02082\/2017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CEECIND\/02082\/2017"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031946"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031946"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/00102\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00102\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/04004\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04004\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Meloidogyne luci has been identified in various countries around the world parasitizing economically important crops and, due to its potential to cause serious damage to agriculture, was included in the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization Alert List in 2017. This species shares morphological and molecular similarities with M. ethiopica and M. inornata, and a M. ethiopica group was therefore established. Although specific primers for the DNA amplification of species belonging to the M. ethiopica group have been developed previously, the primers were not species-specific, so molecular markers for the specific detection of M. luci are still needed. The objective of this study was to develop a SCAR marker for the detection of M. luci and the discrimination from other Meloidogyne spp. based on the intraspecific variability found in RAPD markers. RAPD screening of M. luci and M. ethiopica genome was used for the identification of a specific amplification product on M. luci, which was cloned, sequenced and converted into a SCAR marker. The specificity of the designed primers (Mlf\/r) was tested and produced a fragment (771 bp) for all nine M. luci isolates with no amplification for the other nine Meloidogyne spp., including M. ethiopica and M. inornata. Additionally, the proper amplification of the M. luci SCAR-marker was also successful with DNA from galls of M. luci infected tomato roots. The results obtained in this study reveal that the specific molecular detection of M. luci was achieved and that the developed methodology can be used for routine diagnosis purposes, which are essential to monitoring the distribution and spread of M. luci in order to implement future effective and integrated nematode pest management programs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology10080775","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,15]],"date-time":"2021-08-15T21:43:55Z","timestamp":1629063835000},"page":"775","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Species-Specific Molecular Detection of the Root Knot Nematode Meloidogyne luci"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1616-3632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Maleita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre, University of Coimbra, Rua S\u00edlvio Lima, P\u00f3lo II\u2014Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6594-4892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joana M. S.","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, University of Coimbra, Centre of Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9642-526X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leidy","family":"Rusinque","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, University of Coimbra, Centre of Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto Nacional de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Agr\u00e1ria e Veterin\u00e1ria (INIAV, I.P.), 2780-159 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4944-6789","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iv\u00e2nia","family":"Esteves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, University of Coimbra, Centre of Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8761-2151","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel","family":"Abrantes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, University of Coimbra, Centre of Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1092","DOI":"10.1094\/PHYTO-01-13-0019-RVW","article-title":"Major emerging problems with minor Meloidogyne species","volume":"103","author":"Elling","year":"2013","journal-title":"Phytopathology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"946","DOI":"10.1111\/mpp.12057","article-title":"Top 10 plant-parasitic nematodes in molecular plant pathology","volume":"14","author":"Jones","year":"2013","journal-title":"Mol. Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"183","article-title":"An updated checklist of Meloidogyne G\u00f6ldi, 1887 species, with a diagnostic compendium for second-stage juveniles and males","volume":"9","author":"Ghaderi","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Crop. Prot."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"EPPO (2021, April 15). EPPO A2 List of Pests Recommended for Regulation as Quarantine Pests. Available online: https:\/\/www.eppo.int\/ACTIVITIES\/plant_quarantine\/A2_list."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.1163\/156854100509510","article-title":"Enzyme phenotypes of Meloidogyne spp. populations","volume":"2","author":"Carneiro","year":"2000","journal-title":"Nematology"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Perry, R.N., Moens, M., and Star, J. (2009). Biochemical and molecular identification. Root Knot Nematodes, CABI International. [1st ed.].","DOI":"10.1079\/9781845934927.0000"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"1","article-title":"A polymerase chain reaction method for identification of five major Meloidogyne species","volume":"25","author":"Powers","year":"1993","journal-title":"J. Nematol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"847","DOI":"10.1163\/156854100750112798","article-title":"Identification of Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica and M. arenaria using sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) based PCR assays","volume":"2","author":"Zijlstra","year":"2000","journal-title":"Nematology"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"862","DOI":"10.1139\/g02-054","article-title":"Genetic diversity of root-knot nematodes from Brazil and development of SCAR markers specific for the coffee-damaging species","volume":"45","author":"Randig","year":"2002","journal-title":"Genome"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"855","DOI":"10.1007\/s10658-004-2492-6","article-title":"A PCR test to detect the cereal root-knot nematode Meloidogyne naasi","volume":"110","author":"Zijlstra","year":"2004","journal-title":"Eur. J. Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1023\/B:EJPP.0000019800.47389.31","article-title":"Characterisation of Meloidogyne species from China using isozyme phenotypes and amplified mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism","volume":"110","author":"Xu","year":"2004","journal-title":"Eur. J. Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3059.2006.01455.x","article-title":"Molecular diagnostic key for identification of single juveniles of seven common and economically important species of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.)","volume":"56","author":"Adam","year":"2007","journal-title":"Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"476","DOI":"10.1111\/ppa.12108","article-title":"Genetic diversity of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica and development of a species-specific SCAR marker for its diagnosis","volume":"63","author":"Correa","year":"2014","journal-title":"Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22591","DOI":"10.1038\/srep22591","article-title":"Mitochondrial coding genome analysis of tropical root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne) supports haplotype based diagnostics and reveals evidence of recent reticulate evolution","volume":"6","author":"Janssen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1627","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS-02-17-0220-RE","article-title":"Reported populations of Meloidogyne ethiopica in Europe identified as Meloidogyne luci","volume":"101","author":"Strajnar","year":"2017","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"621","DOI":"10.1007\/s10658-019-01686-2","article-title":"Recognition of species belonging to Meloidogyne ethiopica group and development of a diagnostic method for its detection","volume":"154","author":"Devran","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. J. Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1163\/15685411-00002765","article-title":"Meloidogyne luci n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a root-knot nematode parasitising different crops in Brazil, Chile and Iran","volume":"16","author":"Carneiro","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nematology"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"680","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS.2004.88.6.680C","article-title":"First report of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica on tomato in Slovenia","volume":"88","author":"Urek","year":"2004","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"135","article-title":"Characterization of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne ethiopica Whitehead, 1968, from Slovenia","volume":"17","author":"Strajnar","year":"2009","journal-title":"Russ. J. Nematol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1007\/s10658-010-9694-x","article-title":"Effect of Slovenian climatic conditions on the development and survival of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica","volume":"129","author":"Strajnar","year":"2011","journal-title":"Eur. J. Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1007\/s10658-012-0027-0","article-title":"Detection of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica in Greece","volume":"134","author":"Tzortzakakis","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur. J. Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"865","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS-09-11-0769-RE","article-title":"Biometrical, biochemical, and molecular diagnosis of Portuguese Meloidogyne hispanica isolates","volume":"96","author":"Maleita","year":"2012","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1262","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS-01-13-0019-PDN","article-title":"First report of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica on tomato and cucumber in Turkey","volume":"97","author":"Mennan","year":"2013","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2174","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS-05-16-0624-PDN","article-title":"First report of Meloidogyne luci parasitizing Glycine max in Brazil","volume":"100","author":"Brum","year":"2016","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1515\/helmin-2016-0014","article-title":"Meloidogyne luci, a new infecting nematode species on common bean fields at Paran\u00e1 State, Brazil","volume":"53","author":"Machado","year":"2016","journal-title":"Helminthologia"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1111\/epp.12443","article-title":"Record of a new location for tropical root knot nematode Meloidogyne luci in Slovenia","volume":"48","author":"Strajnar","year":"2018","journal-title":"EPPO Bull."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"366","DOI":"10.1111\/ppa.12755","article-title":"Meloidogyne luci, a new root-knot nematode parasitizing potato in Portugal","volume":"67","author":"Maleita","year":"2018","journal-title":"Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2695","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS-04-19-0735-PDN","article-title":"First report of Meloidogyne luci (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae) parasitizing Luffa cylindrica in Brazil","volume":"103","author":"Balardin","year":"2019","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"1052","article-title":"Reproduction of the root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne ethiopica and Meloidogyne luci, on common bean cultivars","volume":"42","author":"Ramos","year":"2019","journal-title":"Revista de Ci\u00eancias Agr\u00e1rias"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2019-03","DOI":"10.21307\/jofnem-2019-003","article-title":"New hosts and records in Portugal for the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne luci","volume":"51","author":"Santos","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Nematol."},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"78","article-title":"Lavandula angustifolia and Oxalis pes-caprae, hosts of Meloidogyne hapla and Meloidogyne javanica\u2014A note for Meloidogyne luci in Greece","volume":"13","author":"Kormpi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Hell. Plant. Prot. J."},{"key":"ref_32","first-page":"495","article-title":"Senecio vulgaris L. recorded as a new host plant for the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne luci","volume":"115","author":"Urek","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Agric. Slov."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rusinque, L., N\u00f3brega, F., Cordeiro, L., Serra, C., and In\u00e1cio, M.L. (2021). First detection of Meloidogyne luci (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae) parasitizing potato in the Azores, Portugal. Plants, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/plants10010099"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"\u017dibrat, U., Geri\u010d Stare, B., Knapi\u010d, M., Susi\u010d, N., Lapajne, J., and \u0160irca, S. (2021). Detection of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne luci infestation of potato tubers using hyperspectral remote sensing and real-time PCR molecular methods. Remote Sens., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/rs13101996"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.1163\/156854109X415515","article-title":"Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., on potato in Portugal","volume":"11","author":"Feio","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nematology"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1607","DOI":"10.1111\/ppa.13079","article-title":"The quarantine root knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii\u2014A potential threat to Portugal and Europe","volume":"68","author":"Santos","year":"2019","journal-title":"Plant. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_37","first-page":"151","article-title":"Primeiro registro de Meloidogyne ethiopica, Whitehead, 1968 em plantas de quivi no Brasil e rea\u00e7\u00e3o de diferentes plantas cultivadas","volume":"27","author":"Carneiro","year":"2003","journal-title":"Nematol. Bras."},{"key":"ref_38","first-page":"131","article-title":"Root-knot and other plant parasitic nematodes associated with fig trees in Portugal","volume":"36","author":"Abrantes","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nematol. Mediterr."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ye, J., Coulouris, G., Zaretskaya, I., Cutcutache, I., Rozen, S., and Madden, T. (2012). Primer-BLAST: A tool to design target-specific primers for polymerase chain reaction. BMC Bioinform., 13.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2105-13-134"},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"(2021, July 04). EPPO. Available online: https:\/\/gd.eppo.int\/reporting\/article-5957."},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"(2021, July 04). EPPO. Available online: https:\/\/gd.eppo.int\/reporting\/article-6186."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11788","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-48195-0","article-title":"Multigene phylogeny of root-knot nematodes and molecular characterization of Meloidogyne nataliei Golden, Rose & Bird, 1981 (Nematoda: Tylenchida)","volume":"9","author":"Brito","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci Rep."},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"e2020-25","article-title":"Genome sequence of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne luci","volume":"52","author":"Koutsovoulos","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Nematol."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1163\/156854108783360131","article-title":"Additional information on Meloidogyne inornata Lordello, 1956 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) and its characterisation as a valid species","volume":"10","author":"Carneiro","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nematology"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"595","DOI":"10.1094\/PDIS-08-19-1739-PDN","article-title":"First report of Meloidogyne inornata on Smallanthus sonchifolius in Brazil","volume":"104","author":"Camara","year":"2020","journal-title":"Plant. Dis."}],"container-title":["Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-7737\/10\/8\/775\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:46:11Z","timestamp":1760165171000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-7737\/10\/8\/775"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,14]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8]]}},"alternative-id":["biology10080775"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/biology10080775","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-7737"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-7737","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,14]]}}}