Caution ahead: reassessing the functional morphology of the respiratory organs in amphibious snails

After a long hiatus, interest in the morphology of the respiratory organs in apple snails (Ampullariidae, Caenogastropoda) and its functional and evolutionary bearings is making a comeback. The variability in the morphology of the gill and lung and its link to different lifestyles and patterns of air dependency within the Ampullariidae make research on the morphology of the respiratory organs particularly suitable for approaching the evolution of terrestriality in animals. Additionally, morphology is a valuable source of hypotheses regarding the several functions the ampullariid respiratory organs have besides respiration. However, this is an underexplored field that only recently has incorporated ultrastructural and three-dimension visualization tools and in which more research is much needed, particularly, comparisons between species representing the diversity within the Ampullariidae. In this paper, I examine Mueck, Deaton & Lee’s (2020a) assessment of the morphology of the gill and lung of Pomacea maculata and compare it with earlier and contemporary studies on other ampullariid species. I show that Mueck, Deaton & Lee’s paper combines significant morphological misinterpretations, conceptual and terminological mistakes, and crucial literature omissions. I also reinterpret their results and point to the similarities and differences between them and available data on other ampullariids.

The blood-gas barrier in COVID-19: an overview of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the alveolar epithelial and endothelial cells of the lung

Blood-gas barrier (BGB) or alveolar-capillary barrier is the primary tissue barrier affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Comprising alveolar epithelial cells (AECs), endothelial cells (ECs) and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in between, the BGB is damaged following the action of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines during acute inflammation. The infection of AECs and ECs with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen behind COVID-19, triggers an inflammatory response at the BGB, inducing the release of interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and platelet activating factor (PAF). The end result is the disassembly of adherens junctions (AJs) and tight junctions (TJs) in both AECs and ECs, AEC hyperplasia, EC pyroptosis, ECM remodeling and deposition of fibrin clots in the alveolar capillaries, leading to disintegration and thickening of the BGB, and ultimately, hypoxia. This commentary seeks to provide a brief account of how the BGB might become affected in COVID-19.

Morphological grounds for the obligate aerial respiration of an aquatic snail: functional and evolutionary perspectives

The freshwater caenogastropod family Ampullariidae is emerging as a model for a variety of studies, among them, the evolution of terrestriality. A common character of the family is that all its members bear a lung while retaining the ancestral gill. This ensures that many ampullariids are able to inhabit poorly oxygenated waters, to bury in the mud during estivation, and to temporarily leave the water, in some species for oviposition. To these characters Pomacea canaliculata (Caenogastropoda, Ampullariidae) adds that is an obligate air-breather. In a recent paper, we showed the gill epithelium of P. canaliculata has a set of characteristics that suggest its role for oxygen uptake may be less significant than its role in ionic/osmotic regulation and immunity. We complement here our morphological investigation on the respiratory organs of P. canaliculata by studying the lung of this species at the anatomical (3D reconstructions of the blood system and nerve supply), histological and ultrastructural levels. The circulation of the gill and the lung are interconnected so that the effluence of blood from the gill goes to the lung where it completes oxygenation. Besides that, we found the lung cavity is lined by a pavement epithelium that encloses an anastomosing network of small blood spaces resting over a fibromuscular layer, which altogether form the respiratory lamina. The pavement cells form a blood-gas barrier that is 80–150 nm thick and thus fulfils the requirements for an efficient gas exchanger. Tufts of ciliary cells, together with some microvillar and secretory cells, are interspersed in the respiratory lamina. Rhogocytes, which have been proposed to partake in metal depuration and in the synthesis of hemocyanin in other gastropods, were found below the respiratory lamina, in close association with the storage cell tissue. In light of these findings, we discuss the functional role of the lung in P. canaliculata and compare it with that of other gastropods. Finally, we point to some similarities in the pattern of the evolution of air dependence in this family.

Functional and evolutionary perspectives on gill structures of an obligate air-breathing, aquatic snail

Ampullariids are freshwater gastropods bearing a gill and a lung, thus showing different degrees of amphibiousness. In particular, Pomacea canaliculata (Caenogastropoda, Ampullariidae) is an obligate air-breather that relies mainly or solely on the lung for dwelling in poorly oxygenated water, for avoiding predators, while burying in the mud during aestivation, and for oviposition above water level. In this paper, we studied the morphological peculiarities of the gill in this species. We found (1) the gill and lung vasculature and innervation are intimately related, allowing alternation between water and air respiration; (2) the gill epithelium has features typical of a transporting rather than a respiratory epithelium; and (3) the gill has resident granulocytes within intraepithelial spaces that may serve a role for immune defence. Thus, the role in oxygen uptake may be less significant than the roles in ionic/osmotic regulation and immunity. Also, our results provide a morphological background to understand the dependence on aerial respiration of Pomacea canaliculata. Finally, we consider these findings from a functional perspective in the light of the evolution of amphibiousness in the Ampullariidae, and discuss that master regulators may explain the phenotypic convergence of gill structures amongst this molluscan species and those in other phyla.