The Pristionchus pacificus genome provides a unique perspective on nematode lifestyle and parasitism.
Here we present a draft genome sequence of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, a species that is associated with beetles and is used as a model system in evolutionary biology. With 169 Mb and 23,500 predicted protein-coding genes, the P. pacificus genome is larger than those of Caenorhabditis elegans and the human parasite Brugia malayi. Compared to C. elegans, the P. pacificus genome has more genes encoding cytochrome P450 enzymes, glucosyltransferases, sulfotransferases and ABC transporters, many of which were experimentally validated. The P. pacificus genome contains genes encoding cellulase and diapausin, and cellulase activity is found in P. pacificus secretions, indicating that cellulases can be found in nematodes beyond plant parasites. The relatively higher number of detoxification and degradation enzymes in P. pacificus is consistent with its necromenic lifestyle and might represent a preadaptation for parasitism. Thus, comparative genomics analysis of three ecologically distinct nematodes offers a unique opportunity to investigate the association between genome structure and lifestyle.
Dieterich
Christoph
C
Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 37, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Clifton
Sandra W
SW
Schuster
Lisa N
LN
Chinwalla
Asif
A
Delehaunty
Kimberly
K
Dinkelacker
Iris
I
Fulton
Lucinda
L
Fulton
Robert
R
Godfrey
Jennifer
J
Minx
Pat
P
Mitreva
Makedonka
M
Roeseler
Waltraud
W
Tian
Huiyu
H
Witte
Hanh
H
Yang
Shiaw-Pyng
SP
Wilson
Richard K
RK
Sommer
Ralf J
RJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009348:Nematoda / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid