Microsporidia |
Nematocida parisii
|
Intestinal cells |
Yes |
Zhang et al. (2016) describe many species of Nematocida infecting rhabditid nematodes. They also describe two new genera of microsporidia infecting nematodes of the genus Oscheius. |
Troemel et al. (2008) |
Nematocida ausubeli
|
Intestinal cells |
Yes |
Troemel et al. (2008), Zhang et al. (2016) |
Nematocida ironsii
|
Intestinal cells |
Yes |
Reinke et al. (2017) |
Nematocida displodere
|
Systemic: primarily muscle and epidermis |
Yes |
Luallen et al. (2016) |
Viruses |
Orsay virus |
Intestinal cells |
Yes |
Caenorhabditis briggsae is infected by close relatives, the LeBlanc and Santeuil viruses (Felix et al., 2011; Franz et al., 2012, 2014). All these viruses are distantly related to nodaviruses. |
Felix et al. (2011) |
Fungi |
Harposporium sp. |
Systemic: nematophagous members of the genus establish in the intestine or on the cuticle, then produce hyphae that invade the entire body |
Likely: endoparasitic species can grow outside the host, but there is no evidence that they do so in nature |
Species of Harposporium are found infecting nematodes of many genera, including Acrobeles, Panagrellus, Bunonema, and Aphelenchoices (Esser and El-Gholl, 1992). |
Félix and Duveau (2012) |
Drechmeria coniospora
|
Systemic: adheres to the cuticle, frequently around the mouth, then hyphae invade the entire body |
Yes |
A model fungal parasite of C. elegans. Drechmeria coniospora was identified as a natural parasite after it was found infecting C. briggsae in the wild (Félix and Duveau, 2012). It can infect a broad range of nematode species (Jansson and Nordbring-Hertz, 1983), suggesting that it likely infects C. elegans naturally. |
Jansson et al. (1985), Jansson (1994), Félix and Duveau (2012) |
Bacteria |
Leucobacter musarum japonicus
a
|
Rectal, postanal |
Likely facultative
b
|
This species is very similar to a related coryneform bacteria, Microbacterium nematophilum, which infects laboratory cultures of C. elegans (Hodgkin et al., 2000). Leucobacter musarum subsp. musarum and a related species (Leucobacter celer) were found naturally infecting an unidentified Caenorhabditis sp. (Hodgkin et al., 2013; Clark and Hodgkin, 2015). |
Hodgkin et al. (2013) |
Elizabethkingia sp.
c
|
Systemic: dissolves nematode cuticle |
Likely facultative
b
|
|
Félix and Duveau (2012) |
Chryseobacterium sp.
a,b
|
Not described |
Likely facultative
b
|
This genus is closely related to Elizabethkingia (Bernardet et al., 2006) |
Samuel et al. (2016) |
Serratia sp.
c
|
Not described |
Likely facultative
b
|
Serratia species are facultative parasites of humans, plants, and invertebrates (corals, nematodes, and insects) and occasionally mutualists or various hosts (plants, nematodes, and aphids) (Petersen and Tisa, 2013). Serratia marcescens infection of C. elegans is commonly studied in the laboratory, al though this species is not known to cause infection in the wild. |
Samuel et al. (2016) |
Pseudomonas sp.
c
|
Not described |
Likely facultative
b
|
Pseudomonas species are widespread in the environment and cause infection in a diversity of hosts, including plants and humans. Particular strains of P. aeruginosa infect C. elegans in the laboratory. |
Samuel et al. (2016) |