| Caenorhabditis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Nematoda |
| Class: | Secernentea |
| Order: | Rhabditida |
| Family: | Rhabditidae |
| Genus: | Caenorhabditis |
Caenorhabditis is a genus of nematodes which live in bacteria-rich environments like compost piles and decaying dead animals. It contains the noted model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and several other species for which a genome sequence is either available or currently being determined. The two most-studied species in this genus (C. elegans and C. briggsae) are both hermaphrodites whereas all other species are gonochoristic (they have male and female sexes).[1]
Ecology
Caenorhabditis occupy various nutrient and bacteria rich environments. They do not form self-sustaining populations in soil, as it lacks enough organic matter. Juvenile worms (dauer larvae) can be transported by invertebrates including millipedes, insects, isopods, and gastropods. Some species also appear to be associated with vertebrates including zebu cattle, although the nature of this association is not clear. The species can be classified as phoretic or necromenic based on their relationship to their invertebrate host. A phoretic worm rides on the host until it finds a favorable environment, and then leaves. A necromenic worm waits for the host to die, and lives on the bacteria which thrive in the dead animal. Many species are capable of both phoretic and necromenic lifestyles.[2]
Species
Known species in this genus include:
- Caenorhabditis elegans - genome sequenced in 1998 [3]
- Caenorhabditis briggsae - genome sequence finished 2003 [4]
- Caenorhabditis remanei - genome sequenced by WashU GSC [5]
- Caenorhabditis brenneri (formerly referred to as C. sp 4 and Caenorhabditis sp. CB5161) - genome sequenced by WashU GSC [6]
- Caenorhabditis japonica - genome being sequenced by WashU GSC [7]
- Caenorhabditis sp. PS1010
- Caenorhabditis drosophilae
- Caenorhabditis sp. SB341
References
- ^ Haag, Eric S.. "The evolution of nematode sex determination: C. elegans as a reference point for comparative biology". WormBook. http://www.wormbook.org/chapters/www_evolutionsexdetermin/evolutionsexdetermin.html.
- ^ Kiontke, K; Sudhaus, W (Jan 2006), "Ecology of Caenorhabditis species." (Free full text), WormBook : the online review of C. Elegans biology: 1–14, doi:, PMID 18050464
- ^ The C. elegans Sequencing Consortium (1998). "Genome sequence of the nematode C. elegans: a platform for investigating biology". Science 282: 2012–2018. doi:. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/5396/2012?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=282&firstpage=2012&resourcetype=HWCIT.
- ^ Stein, L. D. et al. (2003). "The Genome Sequence of Caenorhabditis briggsae: A Platform for Comparative Genomics". PLoS Biology 1: 166–192. doi:. http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0000045.
- ^ GSC: Caenorhabditis remanei
- ^ GSC: Caenorhabditis n. sp. PB2801
- ^ GSC: Caenorhabditis japonica
 |
This nematode- (or roundworm-) related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
