Metabolism

Abstract

Glycogen is stored mainly in the hypodermis, the non-contractile part of the muscles, the intestine and the epithelial cells of the reproductive organs of nematodes. Free-living and plant-parasitic nematodes have been little studied, but they apparently store less glycogen than animal-parasitic species (table 4.1). This is probably related to their predominantly aerobic existence, which means that they are able to use stored lipids as a source of energy. A fungal-feeding species of Aphelenchoides has 2–9 per cent of its dry weight as polysaccharide and 85 per cent of this is glycogen. Aphelenchus avenae has 8 per cent and Caenorhabditis sp. 3.3 per cent of their dry body-weight as glycogen.^95,96