Influence of Pinewood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, on the Growth of Endoparasitic Fungus Esteya vermicola

The influence of nematodes on nematophagous fungi has seldom been investigated. In the present study, the influence of pinewood nematode on its endoparasitic fungus, Esteya vermicola, was investigated systemically. Although both nematodal metabolite and nematodal homogenate could stimulate and speed up the growth of E. vermicola, the impact of nematodal metabolite was slightly higher than that of nematodal homogenate. In addition, a method was developed to investigate the influence of volatiles, discharged by pinewood nematodes in their metabolic process, on the growth of E. vermicola. Reproductive results were given and confirmed that nematodal volatiles have no influence on the cell growth of E. vermicola. This study may provide information for the application of E. vermicola as biological control agent of pinewood nematode.