Table Of ContentPreface
Preface
Preface
Preface
Dramatic advances are being made in the study of parasitic nematodes,
progress made possible by the wealth of new molecular biological,
biochemical and immunological tools which have recently become
available. This exciting situation has been accelerated by the genetic and
biological information gleaned from work on the free-living nematode,
Caenorhabditis elegans, and there is increasing evidence of scientists working
on this worm and parasitic nematodes in parallel. It is also becoming clear
that animal and plant parasitologists may have much to learn from one
other, particularly now that the mechanisms whereby both classes of
parasite control their tissue environments and the defence reactions of
their hosts are receiving particular attention. It remains to be seen whether
animal- and plant-parasitic nematodes use similar mechanisms, but there
is clearly a possibility that they do, and new information on, for example,
lipid signalling in plants and animals may be pertinent. Animal and plant
hosts may still seem to be worlds apart, but it was not long ago that the
importance of C. elegans to parasitologists of any persuasion was often
dismissed.
Such is the transformation and scope of research on parasitic
nematodes that a book representing the entire field, whilst simultaneously
capturing the dynamism of the subject, would be almost impossible to
produce. This book was therefore designed from the outset to be selective
of subject matter, and we targeted authors who are authorities in their
subjects, were active researchers in their own rights, and could be
prospective in their thinking. We asked the authors to place their subjects
in context before entering into a bold account of new findings and their
xxi
A4015:AMA:Kennedy:First Revise: 19-Mar-01
Preface
21
Z:\Customer\CABI\A4015 - Kennedy - Parasitic Nematodes #L.vp
19 March 2001 11:03:28
Color profile: Disabled
Composite Default screen
implications, and to emphasize what future developments may now be
possible. As a consequence of this strategy, there are many gaps in the
coverage in terms of the species dealt with, but we make no apologies for
this; it was, in fact, quite deliberate – the principles dealt with will apply
broadly, and cross-system research is clearly a way ahead for new principles
to be discovered in biological science. In this spirit we have included
articles on areas in which C. elegans is playing a major role, and on novel
areas of nematode parasitism illuminated by plant-parasitic nematodes.
The chapters are also diverse in style and approach, which we encouraged.
There are so many scientists of high calibre in nematode parasitology
that we found it extremely difficult to choose, but in order to produce a
balanced approach we were unable to call on all of the authors whom we
would otherwise wished to have included. If this book appears in another
edition, however, then we may be able to recruit from amongst the authors
who were not included on this occasion.
Shortly after completing his chapter, one of the authors, Alan Bird,
died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack. It is a fitting tribute
to Alan that his last published work is in a book that unites plant-
and animal-parasitic nematodes within a framework of basic biology
encompassing the C. elegans literature. Alan was one of the first scientists to
appreciate the power of the C. elegans model to study parasitic nematodes,
and also to realize that the conceptual mechanisms of parasitism by
nematodes are catholic, no matter what the host. And this central idea
was the driving force behind this book.
Malcolm Kennedy
William Harnett
Glasgow, June 2000
xxii
Preface
A4015:AMA:Kennedy:First Revise: 19-Mar-01
Preface
22
Z:\Customer\CABI\A4015 - Kennedy - Parasitic Nematodes #L.vp
19 March 2001 11:03:28
Color profile: Disabled
Composite Default screen
Access to colour illustrations
Access to colour illustrations
Colour illustrations
Access to Colour Illustrations
In order to reduce the cost of the book, and thereby improve its
accessibility, there are no colour reproductions. Many of the illustrations,
however, can only properly be appreciated and understood in colour
(particularly those in Chapter 20). The colour illustrations can therefore
be viewed and downloaded from the following internet site:
http://www.cabi.org/Bookshop/book_detail.asp?isbn = 0851994237
See also http://www/gla.ac.uk/Acad/IBLS/II/mwk/res/images.html
If you have any suggestions or problems relating to the illustrations
appearing in the book, then please feel free to contact malcolm.
