C. Elegans As A Resource For Studies On Plant Parasitic Nematodes

C. elegans provides a suitable model to study basic and conserved nematode biology. The short life-cycle, adult size, easy maintenance in large numbers and the tractability of C. elegans facilitate its use in translational biology. The C. elegans genome project has greatly assisted the mapping, sequencing and annotation of parasitic nematode genomes. Furthermore, the development of RNAi in C. elegans has not only aided functional analysis of conserved proteins in parasitic species but has also provided a platform for the development of RNAi in these target species. Application of RNAi in plant-parasitic nematodes has enhanced gene functional analysis as well as highlighted the potential for its development as a transgenic control.