# Nematicidal Potential of Purpureocillium takamizusanense PMEPF27 Against Motile Bursaphelenchus rainulfi In Vitro

## TL;DR

This study shows that the fungus Purpureocillium takamizusanense PMEPF27 can effectively kill the motile nematode Bursaphelenchus rainulfi in lab conditions.

## Contribution

The study expands the known biocontrol capabilities of P. takamizusanense to include motile nematode stages.

## Key findings

- PMEPF27 caused ~80% nematode mortality within 7 days in vitro.
- The fungus caused surface disruption of nematode cuticles.
- B. rainulfi is validated as a suitable motile species for bioassays involving pine nematodes.

## Abstract

Bursaphelenchus rainulfi is a pine-associated, non-pathogenic nematode that serves as a motile comparative species for evaluating nematophagous fungi. We investigated the in vitro biocontrol activity of Purpureocillium takamizusanense strain PMEPF27, originally isolated from insect cadavers in Taiwan, against mixed motile stages of B. rainulfi. Identity of the fungus was confirmed by morphology and ITS/EF-1α sequencing. Nematodes were exposed in liquid suspension to PMEPF27 conidia, with sterile water as the negative control and fluopyram as the positive control. Mortality was monitored over 7 days, and scanning electron microscopy was used to observe fungus–nematode interactions. PMEPF27 caused significantly higher mortality than the water control, reaching ~80% by day 7, and showed surface disruption of nematode cuticles, although no direct spore penetration was observed. These findings expand the nematophagous profile of P. takamizusanense beyond egg and sedentary stages, validate B. rainulfi as a motile comparative species in pine-nematode bioassays, and highlight PMEPF27 as a promising candidate for biocontrol development.