The byssus of Pinna nobilis, the largest bivalve mollusc in the Mediterranean Sea, was investigated by histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). At low magnification, the byssus threads appeared distinctively elliptical in cross-section, with a typical size approaching 50 x 25 micron and a featureless glassy appearance. Histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques confirmed the presence of elastic domains but the absence of collagen, which is known to be the main component in other molluscs. Ultrastructural analysis by TEM revealed the presence of at least two components within the thread, and an inner arrangement of straight, tightly packed longitudinal streaks. SEM observations while confirming the inner packing of straight, parallel subfibrils, suggested in the fracture surfaces the presence of unidentified substance which cemented together the same subfibrils and which was removed by exposure to extreme pH values. AFM micrographs added further evidence for the tight packing of subfibrils and provided some evidence of orthogonal, barely visible connecting structures. Finally, HCl or NaOH treatment left the subfibrils clean and free from any other component.Â.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5695422 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/ejh.2017.2779 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The quagga mussel, : a novel model for EcoEvoDevo, environmental research, and the applied sciences.
Front Cell Dev Biol
January 2025
Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Bivalve mollusks are globally distributed in marine and freshwater habitats. While exhibiting a relatively uniform bodyplan that is characterized by their eponymous bivalved shell that houses the soft-bodied animal, many lineages have acquired unique morphological, physiological, and molecular innovations that account for their high adaptability to the various properties of aquatic environments such as salinity, flow conditions, or substrate composition. This renders them ideal candidates for studies into the evolutionary trajectories that have resulted in their diversity, but also makes them important players for research concerned with climate change-induced warming and acidification of aquatic habitats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJunctional Role of Anionic Domain of Mussel Foot Protein Type 4 in Underwater Mussel Adhesion.
Biomacromolecules
January 2025
Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea.
Mussel byssi form a robust underwater adhesive system, anchoring to various surfaces in harsh marine environments. Central to byssus is foot protein type 4 (fp-4), a junction protein connecting collagenous threads to proteinaceous plaque. This study investigated an anionic plaque-binding domain of fp-4 (fp-4a) and its interactions with cationic foot proteins (fp-1, fp-5, and fp-151 as model substitutes for fp-2) and metal ions (Ca, Fe, and V).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultiresponsive Liquid Crystal Collagen Guides Mussel Byssus Formation.
Biomacromolecules
September 2024
Dept. of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
Marine mussels fabricate tough collagenous fibers known as byssal threads to anchor themselves. Threads are produced individually in minutes via secretion of liquid crystalline (LC) collagenous precursors (preCols); yet the physical and chemical parameters influencing thread formation remain unclear. Here, we characterized the structural anisotropy of native and artificially induced threads using quantitative polarized light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to elucidate spontaneous vs regulated aspects of thread assembly, discovering that preCol LC phases form aligned domains of several hundred microns, but not the cm-level alignment of native threads.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMusseling through: Mytilus byssal thread production is unaffected by continuous noise.
Mar Environ Res
September 2024
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Shelf Sea System Ecology, Helgoland, Germany; University of Bremen, FB2, Bremen, Germany.
Anthropogenic low-frequency noise (ALFN) is a rising pollutant in the world oceans. Despite the ubiquity of ALFN, its effect on marine invertebrates is still poorly understood. Here, we tested how continuous low-frequency noise (CLFN), a substantial component of ALFN, affects the byssal thread production of Mytilus, a cosmopolitan genus of mussels with high ecological and economic importance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSilk Gland Factor 1 Plays a Pivotal Role in Larval Settlement of the Fouling Mussel .
Biology (Basel)
June 2024
College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
Most fouling organisms have planktonic larval and benthic adult stages. Larval settlement, the planktonic-benthic transition, is the critical point when biofouling begins. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of larval settlement is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!