|
Pristionchus Neolucani
''Pristionchus'' is a genus of nematodes (roundworms) in the family Diplogastridae that currently includes more than 50 described species. They are known mainly as non-parasitic associates of insects, especially beetles, while others have been reported from soil, organic matter, or rotting wood. The genus includes ''Pristionchus pacificus, P. pacificus'', a satellite model organism to the well-studied nematode ''Caenorhabditis elegans''. Ecology and mouth dimorphism In ''Pristionchus'' species associated with insects, the nematodes usually live on their hosts in a dormant stage (the dauer larva). After the death of the host insect, the nematodes resume development, feeding and reproducing on the decaying host carcass. Most species of ''Pristionchus'' show a polyphenism in their feeding structures, which allows the nematodes to access different food resources in this rapidly changing environment. In one form (the "stenostomatous" form), the mouth is elongated, narrow, and equipp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pristionchus Pacificus
''Pristionchus pacificus'' is a species of free-living nematodes (roundworms) in the family Diplogastridae. The species has been established as a satellite model organism to '' Caenorhabditis elegans'', with which it shared a common ancestor 200–300 million years ago. The genome of ''P. pacificus'' has been fully sequenced, which in combination with other tools for genetic analysis make this species a tractable model in the laboratory, especially for studies of developmental biology. Mouth dimorphism Like other species of '' Pristionchus'' and many other free-living nematodes, ''P. pacificus'' exhibits a polyphenism in its mouthparts that allows individual nematodes to specialize on different food sources, which has made the species a case study in phenotypic plasticity. The polyphenism has two forms (morphs). The most common type, at least in wild-type lab strains, is the "eurystomatous" morph, which can feed on both bacteria and other nematode species. The "stenostomat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |