A Sterol Requirement in Turbatrix aceti and Panagrellus redivivus.

A nutritional requirement for sterol was demonstrated for Turbatrix aceti and Panagrellus redivivus with a sterol deficient test system that consisted of endospores of Bacillus subtilis on peptone glucose agar slants. Neither nematode species would sustain growth unless cholesterol was supplemented to the test system. At least 0.1 microg of cholesterol supplement was required to support growth of Turbatrix. However, 1.0 and 10.0 microg supplements usually produced better growth as measured by total nematodes produced per agar slant. Several highly purified sterols representing considerable structural diversity supported growth of Turbatrix in our test system. However, some specificity existed since two sterols of the coprostane series failed to support growth of this nematode.