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Raman R, Labisch S, Dirks JH. The ultrastructure of the starfish skeleton is correlated with mechanical stress. Acta Biomater 2024:S1742-7061(24)00742-6. [PMID: 39675499 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2024] [Revised: 11/27/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2024] [Indexed: 12/17/2024]
Abstract
Echinoderms and vertebrates both possess mesodermal endoskeletons. In vertebrates, the response to mechanical loads and the capacity to remodel the ultrastructure of the skeletal system are fundamental attributes of their endoskeleton. To determine whether these characteristics are also inherent in Echinoderms, we conducted a comprehensive biomechanical and morphological study on the endoskeleton of Asterias rubens, a representative model organism for Echinoderm skeletons. Our analysis involved high-resolution X-ray CT scans of entire individual ossicles, covering the full stereom distribution along with the attached muscles. Leveraging this data, we conducted finite element analysis to explore the correlation between mechanical loads acting on an ossicle and its corresponding stereom structure. To understand the effects of localized stress concentration, we examined stereom regions subjected to high mechanical stress and compared them to areas with lower mechanical stress. Our results show that the stereom microstructure, both in terms of thickness and orientation, corresponds closely to the mechanical loading experienced by the ossicles. Additionally, by comparing the stereom structures of ossicles in various developmental stages, we assessed the general remodeling capacity of these ossicles. Our findings suggest that the ability to adapt to mechanical loads is a common feature of mesoderm endoskeletons within the Deuterostomia taxonomic group. However, the material remodelling may be a specific trait unique to vertebrate endoskeletons. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows a correlation between the ultrastructure and the mechanical stress in the starfish endoskeleton, suggesting that this fundamental structure-function relationship may be an ancestral feature of not only vertebrate endoskeletons. However, unlike vertebrate skeletons, not all starfish ossicles remodel in response to changing stress, indicating a potential divergence in skeletal adaptation mechanisms. Our methodological approach combines morphometrics and finite element modeling and thus provides a powerful tool to investigate biomechanics in complex skeletal structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Raman
- Biomimetics-Innovation-Centre, Hochschule Bremen - City University of Applied Sciences
| | - Susanna Labisch
- Biomimetics-Innovation-Centre, Hochschule Bremen - City University of Applied Sciences
| | - Jan-Henning Dirks
- Biomimetics-Innovation-Centre, Hochschule Bremen - City University of Applied Sciences.
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2
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Vafidis D, Varkoulis A, Zaoutsos S, Voulgaris K. Tooth Mg/Ca ratios and Aristotle's lantern morphometrics reflect trophic types in echinoids. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11251. [PMID: 38859888 PMCID: PMC11163157 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Several studies have inferred the ecological significance regarding the morphometrics of Aristotle's lantern and the mechanical properties of magnesium in echinoid teeth. This study attempts to combine these aspects, connecting them to the trophic habits of three native and an invasive echinoid in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Spatiotemporal data from the central and southern Aegean Sea were obtained, regarding the relative size of lanterns and demi-pyramids of Arbacia lixula, Paracentrotus lividus, Sphaerechinus granularis, and the invasive echinoid Diadema setosum and the Mg/Ca ratios of four zones on the tooth cross-section. Since environmental factors affect the examined factors, data for temperature, salinity, and concentration of chlorophyll-a were included in a principal component analysis. A. lixula and P. lividus presented intraspecific differences in the relative size of the lantern and demi-pyramid, while S. granularis and D. setosum exhibited variation in the elongation index. Differences in the Mg/Ca ratios were observed for all species although in different zones. Temperature appears to be related to all Mg/Ca zones except for the stone part, while the elongation index showed an inverse trend to all other morphometric parameters. The results of the PCA for the four species on the spatiotemporal level exhibited a distinction of individuals with season but not species, except for A. lixula, an omnivore with a carnivorous tendency, which was clearly separated from the herbivorous species. Using hierarchical clustering on the principal components it was evident that the three native species occupy different clusters, but when D. setosum was added, it shared the same cluster with S. granularis. This might infer similar feeding preferences, specifically for coralline algae, which might lead to a swift in the ecological equilibrium in regions, where D. setosum is found, either by affecting habitat type, or by restricting the distribution of S. granularis as was previously observed with Diadema africanum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Vafidis
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic EnvironmentNea Ionia, University of ThessalyVolosGreece
| | - Anastasios Varkoulis
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic EnvironmentNea Ionia, University of ThessalyVolosGreece
| | | | - Konstantinos Voulgaris
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic EnvironmentNea Ionia, University of ThessalyVolosGreece
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Perricone V, Grun TB, Rendina F, Marmo F, Candia Carnevali MD, Kowalewski M, Facchini A, De Stefano M, Santella L, Langella C, Micheletti A. Hexagonal Voronoi pattern detected in the microstructural design of the echinoid skeleton. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220226. [PMID: 35946165 PMCID: PMC9363984 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated polygonal patterns are pervasive in natural forms and structures. These patterns provide inherent structural stability while optimizing strength-per-weight and minimizing construction costs. In echinoids (sea urchins), a visible regularity can be found in the endoskeleton, consisting of a lightweight and resistant micro-trabecular meshwork (stereom). This foam-like structure follows an intrinsic geometrical pattern that has never been investigated. This study aims to analyse and describe it by focusing on the boss of tubercles-spine attachment sites subject to strong mechanical stresses-in the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The boss microstructure was identified as a Voronoi construction characterized by 82% concordance to the computed Voronoi models, a prevalence of hexagonal polygons, and a regularly organized seed distribution. This pattern is interpreted as an evolutionary solution for the construction of the echinoid skeleton using a lightweight microstructural design that optimizes the trabecular arrangement, maximizes the structural strength and minimizes the metabolic costs of secreting calcitic stereom. Hence, this identification is particularly valuable to improve the understanding of the mechanical function of the stereom as well as to effectively model and reconstruct similar structures in view of future applications in biomimetic technologies and designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Perricone
- Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, Aversa 81031, Italy
| | - Tobias B. Grun
- Division of Invertebrate Paleontology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Francesco Rendina
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples ‘Parthenope’, URL CoNISMa, Centro Direzionale Is.4, Naples 80143, Italy
| | - Francesco Marmo
- Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy
| | | | - Michal Kowalewski
- Division of Invertebrate Paleontology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Angelo Facchini
- IMT school for advanced studies Lucca, Piazza S. Ponziano 6, 55100, Lucca, Italy
| | - Mario De Stefano
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology University of Campania ‘L. Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 80127, Italy
| | - Luigia Santella
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples 80121, Italy
| | - Carla Langella
- Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via San Lorenzo, 81031, Aversa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Micheletti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milan 20133, Italy
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Kołbuk D, Di Giglio S, M'Zoudi S, Dubois P, Stolarski J, Gorzelak P. Effects of seawater Mg 2+ /Ca 2+ ratio and diet on the biomineralization and growth of sea urchins and the relevance of fossil echinoderms to paleoenvironmental reconstructions. GEOBIOLOGY 2020; 18:710-724. [PMID: 32772500 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
It has been argued that skeletal Mg/Ca ratio in echinoderms is mostly governed by Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations in the ambient seawater. Accordingly, well-preserved fossil echinoderms were used to reconstruct Phanerozoic seawater Mg2+ /Ca2+ ratio. However, Mg/Ca ratio in echinoderm skeleton can be affected by a number of environmental and physiological factors, the effects of which are still poorly understood. Notably, experimental data supporting the applicability of echinoderms in paleoenvironmental reconstructions remain limited. Here, we investigated the effect of ambient Mg2+ /Ca2+ seawater ratio and diet on skeletal Mg/Ca ratio and growth rate in two echinoid species (Psammechinus miliaris and Prionocidaris baculosa). Sea urchins were tagged with manganese and then cultured in different Mg2+ /Ca2+ conditions to simulate fluctuations in the Mg2+ /Ca2+ seawater ratios in the Phanerozoic. Simultaneously, they were fed on a diet containing different amounts of magnesium. Our results show that the skeletal Mg/Ca ratio in both species varied not only between ossicle types but also between different types of stereom within a single ossicle. Importantly, the skeletal Mg/Ca ratio in both species decreased proportionally with decreasing seawater Mg2+ /Ca2+ ratio. However, sea urchins feeding on Mg-enriched diet produced a skeleton with a higher Mg/Ca ratio. We also found that although incubation in lower ambient Mg2+ /Ca2+ ratio did not affect echinoid respiration rates, it led to a decrease or inhibition of their growth. Overall, these results demonstrate that although skeletal Mg/Ca ratios in echinoderms can be largely determined by seawater chemistry, the type of diet may also influence skeletal geochemistry, which imposes constraints on the application of fossil echinoderms as a reliable proxy. The accuracy of paleoseawater Mg2+ /Ca2+ calculations is further limited by the fact that Mg partition coefficients vary significantly at different scales (between species, specimens feeding on different types of food, different ossicle types, and stereom types within a single ossicle).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kołbuk
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sarah Di Giglio
- Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Saloua M'Zoudi
- Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Philippe Dubois
- Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
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Iglikowska A, Humphreys-Williams E, Przytarska J, Chełchowski M, Kukliński P. Minor and trace elements in skeletons of Arctic echinoderms. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 158:111377. [PMID: 32753172 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report the ratios of minor (K/Ca, Na/Ca, P/Ca, S/Ca) and trace elements (Al/Ca, Ba/Ca, Fe/Ca, Mn/Ca and Zn/Ca) in skeletons of five Arctic echinoderm species representing three classes: Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Crinoidea. We found that skeletons of Arctic echinoderms show a unique, species-specific trace element composition that may suggest that incorporation of elements into the skeleton is biologically controlled by the organism. On the other hand, the concentration of some minor elements in skeletal parts exhibit patterns that are consistent with elemental concentrations in seawater, indicating that formation of echinoderm skeletons is environmentally controlled. Seawater is the main source of ions and compounds needed for skeletal formation and maintaining similar concentrations most likely reduces the biological cost related to selective uptake of ions. Additionally, Al, Ba, Fe, Mg and Mn showed station specific variation in elemental concentration which again suggests that accumulation of metals can be shaped by environmental concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Iglikowska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Department of Genetics and Biosystematics, Laboratory of Biosystematics and Ecology of Aquatic Invertebrates, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - E Humphreys-Williams
- Imaging and Analysis Centre, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - J Przytarska
- Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - M Chełchowski
- Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - P Kukliński
- Marine Ecology Department, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
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Kołbuk D, Dubois P, Stolarski J, Gorzelak P. Effects of seawater chemistry (Mg 2+/Ca 2+ ratio) and diet on the skeletal Mg/Ca ratio in the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 145:22-26. [PMID: 30777345 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
It has been argued that concentration of major metallic ions such as Mg2+ and Ca2+ plays a role in determining the composition of the echinoderm skeleton. Consequently, in several studies Mg/Ca ratio from modern and fossil echinoderm ossicles was used as a proxy of secular Mg2+/Ca2+ changes of Phanerozoic seawater. However, although significant progress has been made in understanding biomineralization of echinoderms, it is still largely unknown what are the sources and physiological pathways of major ions that contribute to skeleton formation. Herein we tested the effects of modifications of ambient seawater Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio (which is typically ∼5) and Mg-enrichment of the diet on the Mg/Ca ratio in regenerating spines of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus under experimental conditions. We found that sea urchins cultured in seawater with Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio decreased to ∼1.9 produced a skeleton with also decreased Mg/Ca ratio. However, the skeleton of specimens fed on a Mg-enriched diet showed significantly higher Mg/Ca ratio. This suggests that the seawater is an important but not the only source of ions that contributes to the Mg/Ca ratio of the skeleton. Consequently, the reliability of geochemical models that link directly seawater chemistry with the Mg/Ca ratio of the skeleton should be reevaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kołbuk
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Philippe Dubois
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, CP 160/15, av. F.D. Roosevelt, 50 B-1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Jarosław Stolarski
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Przemysław Gorzelak
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818, Warsaw, Poland.
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Gorzelak P, Dery A, Dubois P, Stolarski J. Correction to: Sea urchin growth dynamics at microstructural length scale revealed by Mn-labeling and cathodoluminescence imaging. Front Zool 2018; 15:12. [PMID: 29681990 PMCID: PMC5897947 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0253-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0227-8.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Gorzelak
- 1Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aurélie Dery
- 2Laboratoire de Biologie marine, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 160/15, av., F.D.Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Philippe Dubois
- 2Laboratoire de Biologie marine, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 160/15, av., F.D.Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Jarosław Stolarski
- 1Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland
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