(Un)expected Similarity of the Temporary Adhesive Systems of Marine, Brackish, and Freshwater Flatworms.

ABSTRACT: Many free-living flatworms have evolved a temporary adhesion system, which allows them to quickly attach to and release from diverse substrates. In the marine Macrostomum lignano, the morphology of the adhesive system and the adhesion-related proteins have been characterised. However, little is known about how temporary adhesion is performed in other aquatic environments. Here, we performed a 3D reconstruction of the M. lignano adhesive organ and compared it to the morphology of five selected Macrostomum, representing two marine, one brackish, and two freshwater species. We compared the protein domains of the two adhesive proteins, as well as an anchor cell-specific intermediate filament. We analysed the gene expression of these proteins by in situ hybridisation and pe

SUBMITTER: Bertemes P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8621496 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature