MORPHOLOGICAL, GENETIC AND MOLECULAR DESCRIPTION OF PRISTIONCHUS-PACIFICUS SP-N (NEMATODA, NEODIPLOGASTRIDAE)

We describe a new free-living hermaphroditic nematode, Pristionchus pa cificus sp. n. (Neodiplogastridae) that will be useful for genetic, de velopmental and molecular biological studies. P. pacificus sp. n. has six chromosomes, a three day generation time and is easily cultured. F orty-eight morphological mutations are described indicating the geneti c accessibility. Molecular studies have been initiated with the genera tion of a genomic and a cDNA library and the cloning of the homologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans let-60 ras gene.