The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes

Abstract Exoskeletons have evolved 18 times independently over 550 MYA and are essential for the success of the Gastropoda. The gastropod shell shows a vast array of different sizes, shapes and structures, and is made of conchiolin and calcium carbonate, which provides protection from predators and...

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Autor principal:	R. Rae
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2017
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/f966bd4af6d94d9b8712e6aa32ec0397
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:f966bd4af6d94d9b8712e6aa32ec03972021-12-02T11:52:55ZThe gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes10.1038/s41598-017-04695-52045-2322https://doaj.org/article/f966bd4af6d94d9b8712e6aa32ec03972017-07-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04695-5https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Exoskeletons have evolved 18 times independently over 550 MYA and are essential for the success of the Gastropoda. The gastropod shell shows a vast array of different sizes, shapes and structures, and is made of conchiolin and calcium carbonate, which provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Here, I report that the gastropod shell has another function and has been co-opted as a defense system to encase and kill parasitic nematodes. Upon infection, cells on the inner layer of the shell adhere to the nematode cuticle, swarm over its body and fuse it to the inside of the shell. Shells of wild Cepaea nemoralis, C. hortensis and Cornu aspersum from around the U.K. are heavily infected with several nematode species including Caenorhabditis elegans. By examining conchology collections I show that nematodes are permanently fixed in shells for hundreds of years and that nematode encapsulation is a pleisomorphic trait, prevalent in both the achatinoid and non-achatinoid clades of the Stylommatophora (and slugs and shelled slugs), which diverged 90–130 MYA. Taken together, these results show that the shell also evolved to kill parasitic nematodes and this is the only example of an exoskeleton that has been co-opted as an immune system.R. RaeNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2017)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q R. Rae The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
description	Abstract Exoskeletons have evolved 18 times independently over 550 MYA and are essential for the success of the Gastropoda. The gastropod shell shows a vast array of different sizes, shapes and structures, and is made of conchiolin and calcium carbonate, which provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Here, I report that the gastropod shell has another function and has been co-opted as a defense system to encase and kill parasitic nematodes. Upon infection, cells on the inner layer of the shell adhere to the nematode cuticle, swarm over its body and fuse it to the inside of the shell. Shells of wild Cepaea nemoralis, C. hortensis and Cornu aspersum from around the U.K. are heavily infected with several nematode species including Caenorhabditis elegans. By examining conchology collections I show that nematodes are permanently fixed in shells for hundreds of years and that nematode encapsulation is a pleisomorphic trait, prevalent in both the achatinoid and non-achatinoid clades of the Stylommatophora (and slugs and shelled slugs), which diverged 90–130 MYA. Taken together, these results show that the shell also evolved to kill parasitic nematodes and this is the only example of an exoskeleton that has been co-opted as an immune system.
format	article
author	R. Rae
author_facet	R. Rae
author_sort	R. Rae
title	The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
title_short	The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
title_full	The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
title_fullStr	The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
title_full_unstemmed	The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
title_sort	gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2017
url	https://doaj.org/article/f966bd4af6d94d9b8712e6aa32ec0397
work_keys_str_mv	AT rrae thegastropodshellhasbeencooptedtokillparasiticnematodes AT rrae gastropodshellhasbeencooptedtokillparasiticnematodes
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The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes

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