Concluding Remarks

Abstract

Current research topics on the nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and its relatives, were introduced in this chapter. Research targets on the PWN are now shifting from “disease control” to “scientific interest”, probably because research related to “control” is coming to an end. Except for several of the most difficult problems the groundwork research has been completed. However, there are many interesting and important questions that still need to be answered. The taxonomy and systematics of PWN and its related species and genera were described in Chap. 9. The taxonomic status of PWN has already been clarified, that is, PWN, a species of mycophagus or entomophilic nematode, belongs to the “xylophilus” group of the genus Bursaphelenchus; however, the definition and the limits of the genus are still unclear, and the framework of the genus needs to be defined based on proper systematic and evolutional evidence. Genetic analysis of PWN and its applications are described in Chap. 10. Molecular biology methods are now indispensable tools for doing research on these detailed physiology and pathological problems. In this context, EST data could be a breakthrough in the study of pine wilt disease. The EST database is now on line, and is available to researchers around the world. The information found during the project could be indispensable in solving the disease mechanisms and for physiological interactions between PWNs and their vectors. In Chap. 11, the embryology and cytology of PWN are introduced. The developmental biology and cytology of PWNs have been studied in detail taking advantage of the knowledge base obtained from a model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans; because not much is known these subjects as they relate to the PWN.