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Zaman S, Lengerer B, Van Lindt J, Saenen I, Russo G, Bossaer L, Carpentier S, Tompa P, Flammang P, Roelants K. Recurrent evolution of adhesive defence systems in amphibians by parallel shifts in gene expression. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5612. [PMID: 38987280 PMCID: PMC11237159 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49917-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural selection can drive organisms to strikingly similar adaptive solutions, but the underlying molecular mechanisms often remain unknown. Several amphibians have independently evolved highly adhesive skin secretions (glues) that support a highly effective antipredator defence mechanism. Here we demonstrate that the glue of the Madagascan tomato frog, Dyscophus guineti, relies on two interacting proteins: a highly derived member of a widespread glycoprotein family and a galectin. Identification of homologous proteins in other amphibians reveals that these proteins attained a function in skin long before glues evolved. Yet, major elevations in their expression, besides structural changes in the glycoprotein (increasing its structural disorder and glycosylation), caused the independent rise of glues in at least two frog lineages. Besides providing a model for the chemical functioning of animal adhesive secretions, our findings highlight how recruiting ancient molecular templates may facilitate the recurrent evolution of functional innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Zaman
- Ecology, Evolution & Genetics Research Group (bDIV), Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Birgit Lengerer
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 23, 7000, Mons, Belgium
- Evolutionary and Developmental Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Joris Van Lindt
- Center for Structural Biology, VIB-VUB and Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Indra Saenen
- Ecology, Evolution & Genetics Research Group (bDIV), Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Center for Structural Biology, VIB-VUB and Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laura Bossaer
- Ecology, Evolution & Genetics Research Group (bDIV), Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sebastien Carpentier
- Proteomics Core - SyBioMa, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49 - 03.313, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- Center for Structural Biology, VIB-VUB and Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Patrick Flammang
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 23, 7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Kim Roelants
- Ecology, Evolution & Genetics Research Group (bDIV), Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
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2
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Püffel F, Johnston R, Labonte D. A biomechanical model for the relation between bite force and mandibular opening angle in arthropods. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221066. [PMID: 36816849 PMCID: PMC9929505 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bite forces play a key role in animal ecology: they affect mating behaviour, fighting success, and the ability to feed. Although feeding habits of arthropods have a significant ecological and economical impact, we lack fundamental knowledge on how the morphology and physiology of their bite apparatus controls bite performance, and its variation with mandible gape. To address this gap, we derived a biomechanical model that characterizes the relationship between bite force and mandibular opening angle from first principles. We validate this model by comparing its geometric predictions with morphological measurements on the muscoloskeletal bite apparatus of Atta cephalotes leaf-cutter ants, using computed tomography (CT) scans obtained at different mandible opening angles. We then demonstrate its deductive and inductive utility with three examplary use cases: Firstly, we extract the physiological properties of the leaf-cutter ant mandible closer muscle from in vivo bite force measurements. Secondly, we show that leaf-cutter ants are specialized to generate extraordinarily large bite forces, equivalent to about 2600 times their body weight. Thirdly, we discuss the relative importance of morphology and physiology in determining the magnitude and variation of bite force. We hope that a more detailed quantitative understanding of the link between morphology, physiology, and bite performance will facilitate future comparative studies on the insect bite apparatus, and help to advance our knowledge of the behaviour, ecology and evolution of arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Püffel
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Richard Johnston
- School of Engineering, Materials Research Centre, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - David Labonte
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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3
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Bite Performance of Captive Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) Improves after Reintroduction. J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1670/21-085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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4
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Deeming DC. Inter‐relationships among body mass, body dimensions, jaw musculature and bite force in reptiles. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. C. Deeming
- Joseph Banks Laboratories Department of Life Sciences School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
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5
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Palci A, LeBlanc ARH, Panagiotopoulou O, Cleuren SGC, Mehari Abraha H, Hutchinson MN, Evans AR, Caldwell MW, Lee MSY. Plicidentine and the repeated origins of snake venom fangs. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211391. [PMID: 34375553 PMCID: PMC8354744 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake fangs are an iconic exemplar of a complex adaptation, but despite striking developmental and morphological similarities, they probably evolved independently in several lineages of venomous snakes. How snakes could, uniquely among vertebrates, repeatedly evolve their complex venom delivery apparatus is an intriguing question. Here we shed light on the repeated evolution of snake venom fangs using histology, high-resolution computed tomography (microCT) and biomechanical modelling. Our examination of venomous and non-venomous species reveals that most snakes have dentine infoldings at the bases of their teeth, known as plicidentine, and that in venomous species, one of these infoldings was repurposed to form a longitudinal groove for venom delivery. Like plicidentine, venom grooves originate from infoldings of the developing dental epithelium prior to the formation of the tooth hard tissues. Derivation of the venom groove from a large plicidentine fold that develops early in tooth ontogeny reveals how snake venom fangs could originate repeatedly through the co-option of a pre-existing dental feature even without close association to a venom duct. We also show that, contrary to previous assumptions, dentine infoldings do not improve compression or bending resistance of snake teeth during biting; plicidentine may instead have a role in tooth attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Palci
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Aaron R. H. LeBlanc
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Olga Panagiotopoulou
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | | | - Hyab Mehari Abraha
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Mark N. Hutchinson
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Alistair R. Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia
- Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | - Michael W. Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - Michael S. Y. Lee
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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6
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Ryerson WG, Van Valkenburg T. Linking Tooth Shape to Strike Mechanics in the Boa constrictor. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:759-771. [PMID: 33713127 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes, with the obvious exception of the fangs, are considered to lack the regional specialization of tooth shape and function which are exemplified by mammals. Recent work in fishes has suggested that the definition of homodont and heterodont are incomplete without a full understanding of the morphology, mechanics, and behavior of feeding. We investigated this idea further by examining changes in tooth shape along the jaw of Boa constrictor and integrating these data with the strike kinematics of boas feeding on rodent prey. We analyzed the shape of every tooth in the skull, from a combination of anesthetized individuals and CT scanned museum specimens. For strike kinematics, we filmed eight adult boas striking at previously killed rats. We determined the regions of the jaws that made first contact with the prey, and extrapolated the relative positions of those teeth at that moment. We further determined the roles of all the teeth throughout the prey capture process, from the initiation of the strike until constriction began. We found that the teeth in the anterior third of the mandible are the most upright, and that teeth become progressively more curved posteriorly. Teeth on the maxilla are more curved than on the mandible, and the anterior teeth are more linear or recurved than the posterior teeth. In a majority of strikes, boas primarily made contact with the anterior third of the mandible first. The momentum from the strike caused the upper jaws and skull to rotate over the rat. The more curved teeth of the upper jaw slid over the rat unimpeded until the snake began to close its jaws. In the remaining strikes, boas made contact with the posterior third of both jaws simultaneously, driving through the prey and quickly retracting, ensnaring the prey on the curved posterior teeth of both jaws. The curved teeth of the palatine and pterygoid bones assist in the process of swallowing.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Ryerson
- Department of Biology, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
| | - Tate Van Valkenburg
- Department of Biology, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
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7
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Taverne M, King-Gillies N, Krajnović M, Lisičić D, Mira Ó, Petricioli D, Sabolić I, Štambuk A, Tadić Z, Vigliotti C, Wehrle B, Herrel A. Proximate and ultimate drivers of variation in bite force in the insular lizards Podarcis melisellensis and Podarcis sicula. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Bite force is a key performance trait in lizards because biting is involved in many ecologically relevant tasks, including foraging, fighting and mating. Several factors have been suggested to impact bite force in lizards, such as head morphology (proximate factors), or diet, intraspecific competition and habitat characteristics (ultimate factors). However, these have been generally investigated separately and mostly at the interspecific level. Here we tested which factors drive variation in bite force at the population level and to what extent. Our study includes 20 populations of two closely related lacertid species, Podarcis melisellensis and Podarcis sicula, which inhabit islands in the Adriatic. We found that lizards with more forceful bites have relatively wider and taller heads, and consume more hard prey and plant material. Island isolation correlates with bite force, probably by driving resource availability. Bite force is only poorly explained by proxies of intraspecific competition. The linear distance from a large island and the proportion of difficult-to-reduce food items consumed are the ultimate factors that explain most of the variation in bite force. Our findings suggest that the way in which morphological variation affects bite force is species-specific, probably reflecting the different selective pressures operating on the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Taverne
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Nina King-Gillies
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Maria Krajnović
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Duje Lisičić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Óscar Mira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Donat Petricioli
- D.I.I.V. Ltd, for Marine, Freshwater and Subterranean Ecology, Sali, Croatia
| | - Iva Sabolić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anamaria Štambuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zoran Tadić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Chloé Vigliotti
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Beck Wehrle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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8
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Ryerson WG. Captivity Affects Head Morphology and Allometry in Headstarted Garter Snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:476-486. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractIn response to the growing number of amphibian and reptiles species in decline, many conservation managers have implemented captive breeding and headstarting programs in an effort to restore these populations. However, many of these programs suffer from low survival success, and it is often unclear as to why some individuals do not survive after reintroduction. Here I document changes to head morphology in the eastern garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, in response to time spent in captivity. Thamnophis raised on three diet treatments all differed in head size from wild individuals, and head size differed between the three treatments. Overall, head size was smaller in all three diet treatments than in wild snakes, potentially limiting the available prey for the captive garter snakes. Allometric patterns of growth in head size were also different for each diet treatment. Several potential implications of these changes in morphology are discussed, and what these changes may mean for other species that are part of headstarting and reintroduction programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Ryerson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
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9
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Penning DA, Sawvel B, Moon BR. The scaling of terrestrial striking performance in western ratsnakes (
Pantherophis obsoletus
). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 333:96-103. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Penning
- Department of Biology and Environmental Health Missouri Southern State University Joplin Missouri
| | - Baxter Sawvel
- Department of Biology University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette Louisiana
| | - Brad R. Moon
- Department of Biology University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette Louisiana
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10
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Moon BR, Penning DA, Segall M, Herrel A. Feeding in Snakes: Form, Function, and Evolution of the Feeding System. FEEDING IN VERTEBRATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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11
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Penning DA, Moon BR. The king of snakes: performance and morphology of intraguild predators (Lampropeltis) and their prey (Pantherophis). J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1154-1161. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.147082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Across ecosystems and trophic levels, predators are usually larger than their prey, and when trophic morphology converges, predators typically avoid predation on intraguild competitors unless the prey is notably smaller in size. However, a currently unexplained exception occurs in kingsnakes in the genus Lampropeltis. Kingsnakes are able to capture, constrict and consume other snakes that are not only larger than themselves but that are also powerful constrictors (such as ratsnakes in the genus Pantherophis). Their mechanisms of success as intraguild predators on other constrictors remain unknown. To begin addressing these mechanisms, we studied the scaling of muscle cross-sectional area, pulling force and constriction pressure across the ontogeny of six species of snakes (Lampropeltis californiae, L. getula, L. holbrooki, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, P. guttatus and P. obsoletus). Muscle cross-sectional area is an indicator of potential force production, pulling force is an indicator of escape performance, and constriction pressure is a measure of prey-handling performance. Muscle cross-sectional area scaled similarly for all snakes, and there was no significant difference in maximum pulling force among species. However, kingsnakes exerted significantly higher pressures on their prey than ratsnakes. The similar escape performance among species indicates that kingsnakes win in predatory encounters because of their superior constriction performance, not because ratsnakes have inferior escape performance. The superior constriction performance by kingsnakes results from their consistent and distinctive coil posture and perhaps from additional aspects of muscle structure and function that need to be tested in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Penning
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-43602, USA
- Department of Biology and Environmental Health, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO 64801, USA
| | - Brad R. Moon
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-43602, USA
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12
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Penning DA. The gluttonous king: the effects of prey size and repeated feeding on predatory performance in kingsnakes. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. A. Penning
- Department of Biology and Environmental Health; Missouri Southern State University; Joplin MO USA
- Department of Biology; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette LA USA
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