Abstract
BACKGROUND: The pin nematode, belonging to the genus Paratylenchus, parasitizes higher plants, often causing reduced or inhibited root tip development. METHODS: Pin nematodes were isolated from the roots and rhizosphere of blueberry plants and subsequently identified as representatives of Paratylenchus projectus based on morphological characteristics and molecular barcoding. The P. projectus draft genome was sequenced using the Illumina platform. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S, 28S and ITS rRNA placed this species in highly supported clades alongside other P. projectus specimens. The draft genome of P. projectus was sequenced and assembled, representing the first genomic data for both the genus Paratylenchus and the family Tylenchulidae. The assembled genome, though fragmented, had a total length of 191.36 Mb and an estimated genome size of 64.9 Mb. Protein-coding genes were predicted using four different databases, with particular focus on carbohydrate-active enzymes from the GH5 and GH18 families. The recovered GH5 genes were distributed among three distinct clades: one forming a basal group relative to other nematodes, one as a sister clade to the fungivorous nematode Aphelenchus avenae and one nested within a fungal clade. The GH18 chitinase genes were grouped into two clades: one closely related to sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes of the genera Heterodera and Globodera and the other closely related to the fungivorous nematode Ditylenchus. CONCLUSIONS: The draft genome of Paratylenchus projectus was sequenced and assembled, representing the first genomic data for both the genus Paratylenchus and the family Tylenchulidae to our knowledge.