The relative influence of nature vs. nurture on the expression of circatidal rhythms in the American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus

2020 ◽  
Vol 649 ◽  
pp. 83-96
Author(s):  
TN Thomas ◽  
WH Watson ◽  
CC Chabot
Keyword(s):  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Marine Organism ◽  
Locomotor Behavior ◽  
Video Tracking ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Early Environment ◽  
Tidal Cycles ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Nature Vs Nurture

The horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus exhibits rhythmic locomotor behavior that is controlled by both internal clocks and external tidal cycles. Recent findings demonstrate that adult horseshoe crabs from a 2 tides d-1 environment usually express 2 bouts of activity d-1, while adults from areas with 1 dominant tide d-1, or with negligible tides (atidal), generally express 1 bout of activity d-1. Horseshoe crabs from these different environments are genetically distinct, so it is not known if these behavioral differences are driven by genetics or by the tides they experience early in life. To address this question, freshly spawned horseshoe crab eggs from populations that experience these 3 distinct environmental tidal regimes were reared in the laboratory under 1 of the above 3 artificial tidal conditions. Then the activity of individual larval and 2nd instar juveniles was recorded over 3 wk using video tracking software. Endogenous circatidal rhythms were present in most (88/108) of the freshly molted juveniles from all 3 populations, even when they were raised in atidal conditions, indicating a strong genetic influence. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the presence of genetically driven endogenous circatidal rhythms in an individual juvenile marine organism. Nevertheless, the early environment was also capable of having an impact, because it significantly affected rhythm expression in crabs in the 1 tide d-1 population. Thus, overall, the tidal environment to which horseshoe crab eggs are exposed during development appears to have less of an influence than genetics on their expression of tidal rhythms of locomotion.

scholarly journals GENETIC VARIATION AND GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIATION IN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA OF THE HORSESHOE CRAB, LIMULUS POLYPHEMUS

Genetics ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-627
Author(s):  
Nancy C Saunders ◽  
Louis G Kessler ◽  
John C Avise
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Clonal Diversity ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Site Variation ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Or Gene

ABSTRACT Restriction site variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) was surveyed in populations ranging from New Hampshire to the Gulf Coast of Florida. MtDNA clonal diversity was moderately high, particularly in southern samples, and a major genetic "break" (nucleotide sequence divergence approximately 2%) distinguished all sampled individuals which were north vs. south of a region in northeastern Florida. The area of genotypic divergence in Limulus corresponds to a long-recognized zoogeographic boundary between warm-temperate and tropical marine faunas, and it suggests that selection pressures and/or gene flow barriers associated with water mass differences may also influence the evolution of species widely distributed across such transition zones. On the other hand, a comparison of the mtDNA divergence patterns in Limulus with computer models involving stochastic lineage extinction in species with limited gene flow demonstrates that deterministic explanations need not necessarily be invoked to account for the observations. Experiments to distinguish stochastic from deterministic possibilities are suggested. Overall, the pattern and magnitude of mtDNA differentiation in horseshoe crabs is very similar to that typically reported for freshwater and terrestrial species assayed over a comparable geographic range. Results demonstrate for the first time that, geographically, at least some continuously distributed marine organisms can show considerable mtDNA genetic differentiation.

scholarly journals Seasonal movement of the American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus in a semi-enclosed bay on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (USA) as determined by acoustic telemetry

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 575-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Jane James-Pirri
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Telemetry ◽  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Cape Cod ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Continuous Record ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Enclosed Bay ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract American horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus were tracked using acoustic telemetry and traditional tagging in a semi-enclosed bay on Cape Cod (Pleasant Bay), Massachusetts, USA, to determine seasonal movement patterns. Fifty-five actively spawning females were fitted with transmitters in 2008 and 2009 and were tracked using acoustic telemetry from May 2008 through July 2010. Fifteen crabs with transmitters also had archive depth-temperature tags attached. In addition, over 2000 spawning crabs (males and females) were tagged with US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) button tags over the same period. Ninety-one percent of the crabs with transmitters were detected during this study. In the spring, crabs were primarily located in the northern section of the bay near spawning beaches, whereas in the fall crabs moved towards the deeper portions of the bay, and some may have overwintered in the bay. There was evidence that a majority (58%–71%) of the females with transmitters spawned in two sequential seasons. One archive tag was recovered resulting in a year-long continuous record of depth and temperature data that, when integrated with telemetry data, indicated that the crab overwintered in the bay. The live recapture rate of crabs with USFWS button tags was 11%, with all re-sighted crabs except one observed inside Pleasant Bay. Eighty-three percent of recaptures were found within 2.5km of the tagging location, and 51% were observed at the same beach where they were tagged. This study provides further evidence that horseshoe crabs in Pleasant Bay may be philopatric to this embayment.

scholarly journals The Draft Genome and Transcriptome of the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab,Limulus polyphemus

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Simpson ◽  
Jordan S. Ramsdell ◽  
Winsor H. Watson III ◽  
Christopher C. Chabot
Keyword(s):  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Accessory Gene ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

The horseshoe crab,Limulus polyphemus, exhibits robust circadian and circatidal rhythms, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying those rhythms. In this study, horseshoe crabs were collected during the day and night as well as high and low tides, and their muscle and central nervous system tissues were processed for genome and transcriptome sequencing, respectively. The genome assembly resulted in7.4×105contigs with N50 of 4,736, while the transcriptome assembly resulted in9.3×104contigs and N50 of 3,497. Analysis of functional completeness by the identification of putative universal orthologs suggests that the transcriptome has three times more total expected orthologs than the genome. Interestingly, RNA-Seq analysis indicated no statistically significant changes in expression level for any circadian core or accessory gene, but there was significant cycling of several noncircadian transcripts. Overall, these assemblies provide a resource to investigate theLimulusclock systems and provide a large dataset for further exploration into the taxonomy and biology of the Atlantic horseshoe crab.

scholarly journals The American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus)

EDIS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (5) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Savanna Barry ◽  
Holly Abeels ◽  
Shelly Krueger
Keyword(s):  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Fact Sheet ◽  
Living Fossils ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Aquatic Sciences

American horseshoe crabs (<em>Limulus polyphemus</em>) look prehistoric and in fact really have not changed very much in the 200 million years they have been around. This 3-page fact sheet written by Savanna Barry, Holly Abeels, and Shelly Krueger and published by the UF/IFAS Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation tells the story of these interesting and valuable "living fossils," including their importance both to ecology and human medicine. It provides tips on how to find horseshoe crabs and a few ways you can help them.

scholarly journals Histological evaluation of five suture materials in the telson ligament of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus)

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7061
Author(s):  
Ami E. Krasner ◽  
Amy Hancock-Ronemus ◽  
Larry S. Christian ◽  
Emily H. Griffith ◽  
Gregory A. Lewbart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Suture Material ◽  
Secondary Infection ◽  
Polyglycolic Acid ◽  
Tissue Reaction ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Histological Evaluation ◽  
Suture Materials ◽  
Soft Membrane ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs

An ideal suture material supports healing, minimizes inflammation, and decreases the likelihood of secondary infection. While there are published recommendations for suture materials in some invertebrates, there are no published recommendations for Limulus polyphemus or any chelicerate. This study evaluates the histological reaction of horseshoe crabs to five commonly used suture materials: monofilament nylon, silk, poliglecaprone, polydioxanone, and polyglycolic acid. None of the materials were superior with regards to holding nor was there any dehiscence. Nylon evoked the least amount of tissue reaction. This work also provides a histopathological description of the soft membrane at the hinge area between the opisthosoma and telson (telson ligament) and comments on euthanasia with intracardiac eugenol.

scholarly journals Seasonal movements of American horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire (USA)

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Y. Schaller ◽  
Christopher C. Chabot ◽  
Winsor H. Watson
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Seasonal Movements ◽  
Great Bay ◽  
Great Bay Estuary ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Shallow Subtidal ◽  
The Mean ◽  
One Year

Abstract The goal of this study was to determine the year round movement patterns of American horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus, in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire (USA) by using acoustic telemetry to track the movements of 37 adult Limulus, for periods ranging from 2 to 31 months. During the winter (December-March) horseshoe crabs moved very little. In the spring, when water temperatures exceeded 11oC, horseshoe crabs moved at least 1 km further up into the estuary to shallower subtidal areas about a month prior to spawning. The mean distance traveled during spring migrations was 2.6 ± 0.5 (n=20) km up the estuary. Mating occurred in May and June and during these months animals spent most of their time in shallow subtidal areas adjacent to mating beaches. In the summer (July-August), animals moved 1.5 ± 0.5 (n=26) km down the estuary, towards the ocean, and ranged widely, using extensive portions of the estuary. In the fall (September-November) movement was more limited (0.5 ± 0.5 km; n = 24) while animals settled into wintering locations, where they remained until spring. The mean annual linear range for all animals was 4.5 ± 0.3 km (n =35) and the maximum distance traveled by an individual horseshoe crab within one year was 9.2 km. There was no evidence that any of the horseshoe crabs tracked during this study left the estuary.

scholarly journals Circatidal rhythms of locomotion in the American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus: Underlying mechanisms and cues that influence them

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C. Chabot ◽  
Winsor H. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Clock System ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Horseshoe Crabs ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract While eye sensitivity in the American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus has long been known to be under the control of an endogenous circadian clock, only recently has horseshoe crab locomotion been shown to be controlled by a separate clock system. In the laboratory, this system drives clear activity rhythms throughout much of the year, not just during the mating season when horseshoe crabs express clear tidal rhythms in the field. Water temperature is a key factor influencing the expression of these rhythms: at 17̊C tidal rhythms are expressed by most animals, while at 11̊C expression of circatidal rhythms is rarely seen, and at 4̊C rhythms are suppressed. Neither long (16:8 Light:Dark) nor short (8:16) photoperiods modify this behavior at any of these temperatures. Synchronization of these circatidal rhythms can be most readily effected by water pressure cycles both in situ and in the lab, while temperature and current cycles play lesser, but possibly contributory, roles. Interestingly, Light:Dark cycles appear to have synchronizing as well as “masking” effects in some individuals. Evidence that each of two daily bouts of activity are independent suggests that the Limulus circatidal rhythm of locomotion is driven by two (circalunidian) clocks, each with a period of 24.8h. While the anatomical locations of either the circadian clock, that drives fluctuations in visual sensitivity, or the circatidal clock, that controls tidal rhythms of locomotion, are currently unknown, preliminary molecular analyses have shown that a 71 kD protein that reacts with antibodies directed against the Drosophila PERIOD (PER) protein is found in both the protocerebrum and the subesophageal ganglion.

Quaternary structure of Limulus polyphemus hemocyanin

1978 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-177
Author(s):  
T. Wichertjes ◽  
E.J. Kwak ◽  
E.F.J. Van Bruggen
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Temperature Jump ◽  
Quaternary Structure ◽  
Crystallographic Analysis ◽  
Limulus Polyphemus ◽  
Oxygen Binding ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Intact Molecule

Hemocyanin of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) has been studied in nany ways. Recently the structure, dissociation and reassembly was studied using electron microscopy of negatively stained specimens as the method of investigation. Crystallization of the protein proved to be possible and X-ray crystallographic analysis was started. Also fluorescence properties of the hemocyanin after dialysis against Tris-glycine buffer + 0.01 M EDTA pH 8.9 (so called “stripped” hemocyanin) and its fractions II and V were studied, as well as functional properties of the fractions by NMR. Finally the temperature-jump method was used for assaying the oxygen binding of the dissociating molecule and of preparations of isolated subunits. Nevertheless very little is known about the structure of the intact molecule. Schutter et al. suggested that the molecule possibly consists of two halves, combined in a staggered way, the halves themselves consisting of four subunits arranged in a square.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document