<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p><italic>Strongyloides stercoralis</italic>, commonly known as the human threadworm, is a skin-penetrating gastrointestinal parasitic nematode that infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Like other <italic>Strongyloides</italic> species, <italic>S. stercoralis</italic> is capable of cycling through a single free-living generation. Although <italic>S. stercoralis</italic> and the free-living nematode <italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</italic> are evolutionarily distant, the free-living adults of <italic>S. stercoralis</italic> are similar enough in size and morphology to <italic>C. elegans</italic> adults that techniques for generating transgenics and knockouts in <italic>C. elegans</italic> have been successfully adapted for use in <italic>S. stercoralis</italic>. High-quality genomic and transcriptomic data are also available for <italic>S. stercoralis</italic>. Thus, one can use a burgeoning array of functional genomic tools in <italic>S. stercoralis</italic> to probe questions about parasitic nematode development, physiology, and behavior. Knowledge gained from <italic>S. stercoralis</italic> will inform studies of other parasitic nematodes such as hookworms that are not yet amenable to genetic manipulation. This review describes the basic anatomy of <italic>S. stercoralis</italic>.</p>
</abstract>

Strongyloides stercoralis, commonly known as the human threadworm, is a skin-penetrating gastrointestinal parasitic nematode that infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Like other Strongyloides species, S. stercoralis is capable of cycling through a single free-living generation. Although S. stercoralis and the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are evolutionarily distant, the free-living adults of S. stercoralis are similar enough in size and morphology to C. elegans adults that techniques for generating transgenics and knockouts in C. elegans have been successfully adapted for use in S. stercoralis. High-quality genomic and transcriptomic data are also available for S. stercoralis. Thus, one can use a burgeoning array of functional genomic tools in S. stercoralis to probe questions about parasitic nematode development, physiology, and behavior. Knowledge gained from S. stercoralis will inform studies of other parasitic nematodes such as hookworms that are not yet amenable to genetic manipulation. This review describes the basic anatomy of S. stercoralis.

Introduction to <italic>Strongyloides stercoralis</italic> Anatomy

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Journal of Nematology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":{"italic":"Strongyloides stercoralis","content":["Introduction to","Anatomy"]}}

Strongyloides stercoralis, commonly known as the human threadworm, is a skin-penetrating gastrointestinal parasitic nematode that infects hundreds of millions...

Introduction to Strongyloides stercoralis Anatomy

Article Category: Research Paper

Published Online: Jun 09, 2024

Page range: -

Received: Nov 14, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2024-0019

Keywords
skin-penetrating nematode, parasitic nematode, parasitic helminth, WormAtlas, anatomy, morphology

© 2024 Michelle L. Castelletto et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Introduction to Strongyloides stercoralis Anatomy

Article Category: Research Paper

Published Online: Jun 09, 2024

Page range: -

Received: Nov 14, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2024-0019

Keywordsskin-penetrating nematode, parasitic nematode, parasitic helminth, WormAtlas, anatomy, morphology

© 2024 Michelle L. Castelletto et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
skin-penetrating nematode, parasitic nematode, parasitic helminth, WormAtlas, anatomy, morphology