In a paper published in the current issue of Nature Genetics,
the researchers reported finding some surprises as they have
decoded the genome of the worm, a tiny nematode called
Pristionchus pacificus. "We found a larger number of genes than
we expected," says Sandra Clifton, Ph.D., research assistant
professor of genetics and a co-author of the paper. "These
include genes that help the worms live in a hostile environment,
the result of living in and being exposed to the byproducts of
decaying beetle carcasses, and others that also have been found
in plant parasitic nematodes. The genome supports the theory
that P. pacificus might be a precursor to parasitic worms."
Scientists estimate there are tens of thousands of nematode
species. The worms are typically just one millimeter long and
can be found in every ecosystem on Earth. Parasitic nematodes
can infect humans as well as animals and plants. One nematode in
particular is well known in scientific circles: Caenorhabditis
elegans has long been used as a model