Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis

Abstract Background The genus Caenorhabditis has been central to our understanding of metazoan biology. The best-known species, Caenorhabditis elegans, is but one member of a genus with around 50 known species, and knowledge of these species will place the singular example of C. elegans in a rich ph...

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Main Authors: Dieter Slos, Walter Sudhaus, Lewis Stevens, Wim Bert, Mark Blaxter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2017-02-01
Series:BMC Zoology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-017-0013-2
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author Dieter Slos
Walter Sudhaus
Lewis Stevens
Wim Bert
Mark Blaxter
author_facet Dieter Slos
Walter Sudhaus
Lewis Stevens
Wim Bert
Mark Blaxter
author_sort Dieter Slos
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The genus Caenorhabditis has been central to our understanding of metazoan biology. The best-known species, Caenorhabditis elegans, is but one member of a genus with around 50 known species, and knowledge of these species will place the singular example of C. elegans in a rich phylogenetic context. How did the model come to be as it is today, and what are the dynamics of change in the genus? Results As part of this effort to “put C. elegans in its place”, we here describe the morphology and genome of Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n., previously known as Caenorhabditis sp. 1. Like many other Caenorhabditis, C. monodelphis sp. n. has a phoretic association with a transport host, in this case with the fungivorous beetle Cis castaneus. Using genomic data, we place C. monodelphis sp. n. as sister to all other Caenorhabditis for which genome data are available. Using this genome phylogeny, we reconstruct the stemspecies morphological pattern of Caenorhabditis. Conclusions With the morphological and genomic description of C. monodelphis sp. n., another key species for evolutionary and developmental studies within Caenorhabditis becomes available. The most important characters are its early diverging position, unique morphology for the genus and its similarities with the hypothetical ancestor of Caenorhabditis.
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spelling doaj-art-22a878038ba34ee79bb874111bbdade92025-08-20T02:52:17ZengBMCBMC Zoology2056-31322017-02-012111510.1186/s40850-017-0013-2Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus CaenorhabditisDieter Slos0Walter Sudhaus1Lewis Stevens2Wim Bert3Mark Blaxter4Department of Biology, Nematology Research Unit, Ghent UniversityInstitut für Biologie/Zoologie, Freie Universität BerlinInstitute of Evolutionary Biology, University of EdinburghDepartment of Biology, Nematology Research Unit, Ghent UniversityInstitute of Evolutionary Biology, University of EdinburghAbstract Background The genus Caenorhabditis has been central to our understanding of metazoan biology. The best-known species, Caenorhabditis elegans, is but one member of a genus with around 50 known species, and knowledge of these species will place the singular example of C. elegans in a rich phylogenetic context. How did the model come to be as it is today, and what are the dynamics of change in the genus? Results As part of this effort to “put C. elegans in its place”, we here describe the morphology and genome of Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n., previously known as Caenorhabditis sp. 1. Like many other Caenorhabditis, C. monodelphis sp. n. has a phoretic association with a transport host, in this case with the fungivorous beetle Cis castaneus. Using genomic data, we place C. monodelphis sp. n. as sister to all other Caenorhabditis for which genome data are available. Using this genome phylogeny, we reconstruct the stemspecies morphological pattern of Caenorhabditis. Conclusions With the morphological and genomic description of C. monodelphis sp. n., another key species for evolutionary and developmental studies within Caenorhabditis becomes available. The most important characters are its early diverging position, unique morphology for the genus and its similarities with the hypothetical ancestor of Caenorhabditis.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-017-0013-2TaxonomySystematicsEvolutionGenomePhylogenyDescription
spellingShingle Dieter Slos
Walter Sudhaus
Lewis Stevens
Wim Bert
Mark Blaxter
Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis
BMC Zoology
Taxonomy
Systematics
Evolution
Genome
Phylogeny
Description
title Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis
title_full Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis
title_fullStr Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis
title_full_unstemmed Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis
title_short Caenorhabditis monodelphis sp. n.: defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus Caenorhabditis
title_sort caenorhabditis monodelphis sp n defining the stem morphology and genomics of the genus caenorhabditis
topic Taxonomy
Systematics
Evolution
Genome
Phylogeny
Description
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-017-0013-2
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