Effectors of root-knot nematodes are essential for parasitism and prone to recognition by adapted variants of the host plants. This selective pressure initiates hypervariability of effector genes. Diversity of the gene variants within nematode populations might correlate with host preferences. In this study we developed a method to compare the distribution of variants of the effector gene msp1 among populations of Meloidogyne incognita. Primers were designed to amplify a 234-bp fragment of msp1. Sequencing of cloned PCR products revealed five msp1 variants from seven populations that were distinguishable in their reproduction on five host plants. A protocol for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was developed to separate these msp1 variants. DGGE for replicated pools of juveniles from the seven populations revealed ten variants of msp1. A correlation between the presence of a particular gene variant and the reproductive potential on particular hosts was not evident. Especially race 3 showed substantial variation within the population. DGGE fingerprints of msp1 tended to cluster the populations according to their reproduction rate on pepper. The developed method could be useful for analyzing population heterogeneity and epidemiology of M. incognita.
Keywords: Meloidogyne incognita; PCR-DGGE; genetics; host preference; pathogenicity gene; root-knot nematode; technique.