Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a blend of the Greek caeno- (recent), rhabditis (rod-like) and Latin elegans (elegant). In 1900, Maupas initially named it Rhabditides elegans. Osche placed it in the subgenus Caenorhabditis in 1952, and in 1955, Dougherty raised Caenorhabditis to the status of genus.
Caenorhabditis briggsae is a small nematode, closely related to Caenorhabditis elegans. The differences between the two species are subtle. The male tail in C. briggsae has a slightly different morphology from C. elegans. Other differences include changes in vulval precursor competence and the placement of the excretory duct opening. C. briggsae is frequently used to study the differences between it and the more intimately understood C. elegans, especially at the DNA and protein sequence level. Several mutant strains of C. briggsae have also been isolated that facilitate genetic analysis of this organism. C. briggsae, like C. elegans, is a hermaphrodite. The genome sequence for C. briggsae was determined in 2003.
Caenorhabditis is a genus of nematodes which live in bacteria-rich environments like compost piles, decaying dead animals and rotting fruit. The name comes from Greek: caeno- ; rhabditis = rod-like. In 1900, Maupas initially named the species Rhabditis elegans, Osche placed it in the subgenus Caenorhabditis in 1952, and in 1955, Dougherty raised Caenorhabditis to the status of genus.
Caenorhabditis elegans- microbe interactions are defined as any interaction that encompasses the association with microbes that temporarily or permanently live in or on the nematode C. elegans. The microbes can engage in a commensal, mutualistic or pathogenic interaction with the host. These include bacterial, viral, unicellular eukaryotic, and fungal interactions. In nature C. elegans harbours a diverse set of microbes. In contrast, C. elegans strains that are cultivated in laboratories for research purposes have lost the natural associated microbial communities and are commonly maintained on a single bacterial strain, Escherichia coli OP50. However, E. coli OP50 does not allow for reverse genetic screens because RNAi libraries have only been generated in strain HT115. This limits the ability to study bacterial effects on host phenotypes. The host microbe interactions of C. elegans are closely studied because of their orthologs in humans. Therefore, the better we understand the host interactions of C. elegans the better we can understand the host interactions within the human body.
Caenorhabditis tropicalis is a species of Caenorhabditis nematodes, belonging to the Elegans super-group and Elegans group within the genus. It is a close relative of C. wallacei.C. tropicalis is collected frequently in tropical South America, Caribbean islands, and various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from rotting fruit, flowers and stems. C. tropicalis was referred to as “C. sp. 11” prior to 2014.
Caenorhabditis afra is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. This gonochoristic (male-female) species was isolated by Matthias Herrmann in Begoro, Ghana, Africa in 2007. Its genome is being sequenced at McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine.
Caenorhabditis plicata is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. It was described on carrion in Germany and is phoretic on carrion visiting beetles.
Caenorhabditis monodelphis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. It was first collected by J. Raschka in Berlin, Germany in 2001. A second isolate was collected from Norway. It is a freeliving species found in galleries inside of the fungus Ganoderma applanatum (Polyporaceae) which grew on the stump of a tree a few centimeters above ground. It is phoretic on beetles of the species Cis castaneus.
Caenorhabditis portoensis is a species of nematode in the genus Caenorhabditis. First wild isolate sample was found on a rotting apple in Portugal.
Caenorhabditis virilis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. The type isolate JU1528 was collected in an orchard in Orsay, France.
Caenorhabditis nigoni is a male-female species in the Elegans group of the genus Caenorhabditis, first identified and described as "Caenorhabditis species 9" or "C. sp. 9" before being renamed as "C. nigoni". The specific epithet is a tribute to Victor Nigon who first studied Caenorhabditis elegans in the laboratory with Ellsworth Dougherty in the 1940s. Isolates come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kerala, India.
Caenorhabditis doughertyi is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 10
Caenorhabditis guadeloupensis is a species of nematodes, in the same genus as the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. This species was collected from rotten Heliconia flowers on the Soufrière Forest trail, in Guadeloupe, France.
Caenorhabditis imperialis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 14. The type isolate was collected in Mo'orea, French Polynesia, and other isolates were collected in Guadeloupe.
Caenorhabditis kamaaina is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 15. The type isolate was collected in Kauai, Hawaii.
Caenorhabditis nouraguensis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 17. The type isolate was collected in Nouragues, French Guiana.
Caenorhabditis yunquensis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 19. The single isolate of this species is from El Yunque, Puerto Rico.
Caenorhabditis macrosperma is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 18. The type isolate was collected in Nouragues, French Guiana.
Caenorhabditis sinica, is a species of Caenorhabditis nematodes, belonging to the Elegans super-group and Elegans group within the genus. It is closely related to several species isolated from the lands adjacent to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as to C. briggsae and C. nigoni. The species was known as “C. sp. 5” prior to 2014. C. sinica is known for having very high genetic diversity in its genome. Like other Caenorhabditis species, C. sinica is a ~1mm long roundworm with a transparent cuticle and that eats bacteria. Wild isolate strains of C. sinica have been collected from various rotting plant tissue substrates in temperate and tropical regions throughout China since its initial isolation in 2005.
