Laxus oneistus RELEASE 2 29 August 2006 A web interface for the Laxus oneistus Expressed sequence tag PartiGene database Data from Silvia Bulgheresi; Database curated by Mark Blaxter

SUMMARY OF CLUSTERING FOR LOC RELEASE 2 29 August 2006
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Number of sequences = 1056
Total number of clusters = 276
Number of clusters with 1 member = 128
Number of clusters with >1 member
(derived from 928 sequences) = 148
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About Laxus oneistus

Laxus oneistus (Stilbonematinae, Chromadoria; see image for an en face view of L. oneistus' mouth and spiral amphids) dominates the nematode fauna of shallow sands in the Belize Barrier Reef. It migrates between oxidized and reduced, sulfur-rich sand layers and thus represents an ideal substrate for bacteria that require both oxygen and sulfide. Indeed, a highly ordered monolayer of chemoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria covers its cuticle. This microbial coat is composed of a single phylotype of γ-Proteobacteria, and starts sharply some distance behind the anterior end (see image). The bacterial rods are aligned perpendicularly to the worm’s surface and, curiously, they divide along their longitudinal axis. They are essential for L. oneistus survival, as the worm obtains most of its nutrition by grazing on them. Mermaid, a mannose-specific lectin, mediates symbiont recruitment from the environment: it is specifically secreted onto the posterior region of the cuticle and it is a potent inducer of symbiont aggregation.