biostudies-literatureUnknown13Sheehy LNematodes and bacteria are prevalent in soil ecosystems, and some have evolved symbiotic relationships. In some cases, symbionts carry out highly specialized functions: a prime example being entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), which vector bacteria (<i>Xenorhabdus</i> or <i>Photorhabdus</i>) into insect hosts, killing them to provide a food source for the nematodes. It is thought that the commercially available malacopathogenic (kills slugs and snails) biocontrol nematode <i>Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita</i> vectors a bacterium (<i>Moraxella osloensis</i>) into slugs to kill them. To investigate this further we used a metagenomic approach to profile the bacteria present in the commercial strain of <i>P. hermaphrodita</i>, a wild strain of <i>P. hermaphrodita</i> and two other <i>PhasmarhabdFrontiers in immunology878783https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9065361biostudies-literatureMicrobiome Analysis of Malacopathogenic Nematodes Suggests No Evidence of a Single Bacterial Symbiont Responsible for Gastropod Mortality.PMC9065361Sheehy LRae RCutler JWeedall GDfalseMicrobiome Analysis of Malacopathogenic Nematodes Suggests No Evidence of a Single Bacterial Symbiont Responsible for Gastropod Mortality.Nematodes and bacteria are prevalent in soil ecosystems, and some have evolved symbiotic relationships. In some cases, symbionts carry out highly specialized functions: a prime example being entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), which vector bacteria (<i>Xenorhabdus</i> or <i>Photorhabdus</i>) into insect hosts, killing them to provide a food source for the nematodes. It is thought that the commercially available malacopathogenic (kills slugs and snails) biocontrol nematode <i>Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita</i> vectors a bacterium (<i>Moraxella osloensis</i>) into slugs to kill them. To investigate this further we used a metagenomic approach to profile the bacteria present in the commercial strain of <i>P. hermaphrodita</i>, a wild strain of <i>P. hermaphrodita</i> and two other <i>Phasmarhabd2022-01-01T00:00:00Z20222026-05-31T21:00:33.317Z2025-02-19T04:21:26.354ZS-EPMC90653613551500510.3389/fimmu.2022.878783