SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF MESORHABDITIS NEMATODES IN THE DOG ROSE RHIZOSPHERE BASED ON ITS AND COI MARKERS

The article provides a comparative analysis of the use of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for the taxonomic identification of nematodes of the genus Mesorhabditis associated with the roots and rhizosphere of dog rose (Rosa canina L.) in Surkhandarya Region. The stages of morphological diagnosis, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, sequence validation, and phylogenetic reconstruction are systematically substantiated. Differences between the markers, limitations of reference databases, and precautions when interpreting clusters as species boundaries are discussed. As a result, a reproducible workflow is proposed for investigating free-living nematodes associated with dog rose using an integrative taxonomy approach.