Degenerative lesions in the dorsum of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) exoskeleton, eyes, arthrodial membrane, and base of the telson were documented in a population of wild caught laboratory animals. The disease can lead to loss of tissue structure and function, deformed shells, abnormal molting, loss of ocular structures, erosion of interskeletal membranes, and cardiac hemorrhage. Microscopy, histopathology, and in vitro culture confirmed the causative agent to be a green algae of the family Ulvaceae. Further research may explain how green algae overcome horseshoe crab innate immunity leading to external and internal damage.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418384 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2012.06.002 | DOI Listing |
Integr Zool
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Ecosystem and Bioresource, Fourth Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai, China.
Over the past few decades, ocean hypoxia has been increasing due to human activities. Hypoxic stress, characterized by a reduced level of dissolved oxygen, is an escalating threat to marine ecosystems, with potentially devastating effects on the viability of endangered species such as the tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus. Even though this species is remarkably resilient to low oxygen levels, persistent hypoxia can negatively impact its population's survivability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature
January 2025
Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
How novel structures emerge during evolution has long fascinated biologists. A dramatic example is how the diminutive bones of the mammalian middle ear arose from ancestral fish jawbones. In contrast, the evolutionary origin of the outer ear, another mammalian innovation, remains a mystery, in part because it is supported by non-mineralized elastic cartilage rarely recovered in fossils.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Engineering Laboratory of Peptides of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, and Sino-African Joint Research Center, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
The venoms of Theraphosidae spiders have evolved into diverse natural pharmacopeias through selective pressures. is a global health threat that frequently causes life-threatening meningitis and fungemia, particularly in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we identify a novel anti- peptide, QS18 (QCFKVCFRKRCFTKCSRS), from the venom gland of China's native spider species by utilizing bioinformatic tools.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Zoo Wildl Med
December 2024
National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA.
Serial health assessment of a managed population of American horseshoe crabs (HSC; ) was performed. Twenty HSC were examined once a month for 7 mon; this included a physical exam with a standardized scoring sheet, HR, morphometrics, and hemolymph evaluation with hemocyte count, copper concentration, and biochemistry panel. The HSC in this population had varying levels of external lesions at enrollment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAquat Toxicol
December 2024
South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Guangzhou 510300, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510300, China; Sanya Tropical Fisheries Research Institute, Sanya, Hainan 572019, China. Electronic address:
Mercury (Hg) contamination is a major environmental concern that continuously impacts marine organisms, including the mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda). As a vulnerable species, C. rotundicauda holds significant ecological and evolutionary value, making it particularly susceptible to Hg pollution and deserving of focused conservation efforts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!