Abstract
ABSTRACTMany marine invertebrates use adhesive secretions to attach to underwater surfaces and functional groups borne by their adhesive proteins and carbohydrates, such as catechols and phosphates, play a key role in adhesion. The occurrence of sulfates as recurrent moieties in marine bioadhesives suggests that they could also be involved. However, in most cases, their presence in the adhesive material remains speculative. We investigated the presence of sulfated biopolymers in five marine invertebrates representative of the four types of adhesion encountered in the sea: mussels and tubeworms for permanent adhesion, limpets for transitory adhesion, sea stars for temporary adhesion and sea cucumbers for instantaneous adhesion. The dry adhesive material of mussels, sea stars and sea cucumbers contained about 1% of sulfate. Using anti-sulfotyrosine antibodies and Alcian Blue staining, sulfated proteins and sulfated proteoglycans and/or polysaccharides were identified in the secretory cells and adhesive secretions of all species except the tubeworm. Sulfated proteoglycans appear to play a role only in the non-permanent adhesion of sea stars and limpets in which they could mediate cohesion within the adhesive material. In mussels and sea cucumbers, sulfated biopolymers would rather have an anti-adhesive function, precluding self-adhesion.
Highlights
Many marine organisms, ranging from microscopic bacteria and algae to macroscopic seaweeds and invertebrates, use adhesive secretions to attach to underwater surfaces (Walker, 1987; von Byern and Grunwald, 2010; Smith, 2016a)
We investigated the presence of sulfated biopolymers in five marine invertebrates representative of the four types of adhesion encountered in the sea (Flammang et al, 2005, 2016): the mussel Mytilus edulis and the tubeworm Sabellaria alveolata for permanent adhesion, the limpet Patella vulgata for transitory adhesion, the sea star Asterias rubens for temporary adhesion and the sea cucumber
Sulfate content of the adhesive secretions The benzidine method was used to estimate the sulfate content of the adhesive plaques of M. edulis, the footprints of A. rubens, and the Cuvierian tubule prints of H. forskali
Summary
Many marine organisms, ranging from microscopic bacteria and algae to macroscopic seaweeds and invertebrates, use adhesive secretions to attach to underwater surfaces (Walker, 1987; von Byern and Grunwald, 2010; Smith, 2016a). Adhesive systems are developed and diversified in marine invertebrates and they may differ considerably in their mode of operation, their structure and the composition of their adhesive secretions (Smith, 2016a). Different types of adhesion can be distinguished (Tyler, 1988; Whittington and Cribb, 2001; Flammang et al, 2005). Permanent adhesion involves the secretion of an adhesive that hardens with time and forms a durable cement. Non-permanent adhesion allows simultaneous adhesion and locomotion.
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