Third-Stage Dispersal Juveniles of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus Can Resist Low-Temperature Stress by Entering Cryptobiosis

Abstract

Nematodes can enter cryptobiosis by dehydration as an adaptation to low-temperature environments and recover from cryptobiosis by rehydration after environmental improvement. In this work, the survival of Bursaphelenchusxylophilus third-stage dispersal juveniles was studied in response to low-temperature treatment. The average survival rates were 1.7% after −80 °C treatment for 30 d and 82.2% after −20 °C treatment for 30 d. The changes of water content and inorganic salt ions that occur in pine trees during winter gradually alter the osmotic pressure in the liquid environment to dehydrate B. xylophilus juveniles, resulting in improved survival after low-temperature treatment. The survival rate at −20 °C improved to 92.1% when the juveniles entered cryptobiosis by osmotic regulation. The results of this study demonstrate that B. xylophilus third-stage dispersal juveniles can resist low-temperature stress through cryptobiosis, providing the theoretical basis for the identification of areas potentially vulnerable to B. xylophilus in the mid-temperature and cold temperature zones of China.