Pigment and Fatty Acid Heterogeneity in the Sea Slug Elysia crispata Is Not Shaped by Habitat Depth.

ABSTRACT: Long-term retention of functional chloroplasts in animal cells occurs only in sacoglossan sea slugs. Analysis of molecules related to the maintenance of these organelles can provide valuable information on this trait (kleptoplasty). The goal of our research was to characterize the pigment and fatty acid (FA) composition of the sea slug Elysia crispata and their associated chloroplasts that are kept functional for a long time, and to quantify total lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid contents, identifying differences between habitats: shallow (0-4 m) and deeper (8-12 m) waters. Specimens were sampled and analyzed after a month of food deprivation, through HPLC, GC-MS and colorimetric methods, to ensure an assessment of long-term kleptoplasty in relation to depth. Pigment signatures in

SUBMITTER: Vital XG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8614334 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature