scholarly journals Chemosensitivity in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) to Food-Related Compounds: An Innovative Behavioral Bioassay

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Solari ◽  
Viviana Pasquini ◽  
Marco Secci ◽  
Angelica Giglioli ◽  
Roberto Crnjar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Arthrospira Platensis ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Chemical Sensitivity ◽  
Blue Green Algae ◽  
Related Compounds

Like other animals, echinoderms rely on chemical senses to detect and localize food resources. Here, we evaluate the chemical sensitivity of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to a number of stimuli possibly related to food, such as a few sugars, compared to the blue-green algae Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). To do this we developed a simple, innovative method based on the recording of “urchinograms” estimating the movements of spines, pedicellariae, tube feet, and eventually of the whole sea urchin, in response to chemicals, while keeping both the whole animal and the stimulus in their natural environment, underwater. Our results show that Spirulina is a highly stimulating compound for the sea urchin, by acting in a dose-dependent manner. The animals resulted also sensitive, even if to a lesser extent, to some sugars, such as the monosaccharide glucose, but not to its isomer fructose, while among disaccharides, they sensed cellobiose, but not sucrose or trehalose. From an applied point of view, any insight into the chemical sensitivity of sea urchins toward potential food-related compounds may lead to the discovery of key chemicals that would help improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of dietary substrates for optimization of intensive rearing strategies. Although this method has been developed for P. lividus, it will be suitable to evaluate the chemical sensitivity of other echinoderms and other marine invertebrates characterized by low mobility.

scholarly journals Molecular and Morphological Toxicity of Diatom-Derived Hydroxyacid Mixtures to Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus Embryos

Marine Drugs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Albarano ◽  
Nadia Ruocco ◽  
Adrianna Ianora ◽  
Giovanni Libralato ◽  
Loredana Manfra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Diatom Blooms ◽  
Polyunsaturated Aldehydes ◽  
First Time

Oxylipins such as polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) and hydroxyacids (HEPEs) are signaling molecules derived from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are common in diatoms that constitute a major group of microalgae in freshwater and oceanic ecosystems. Although HEPEs represent the most common oxylipins produced by diatoms, little information is available on their effects on marine invertebrates, and most of the information has been obtained by testing individual HEPEs. Our previous studies reported that four hydroxyacids, i.e., 5-, 9-, 11-, and 15-HEPE, were able to induce malformations and a marked developmental delay in sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus embryos, which had not been reported for other oxylipins. Here, we tested a mixture of 5-, 9-, 11-, and 15-HEPE at different concentrations for the first time. The results showed that mixtures of HEPEs have synergistic effects that are much more severe compared to those of individual HEPEs: The HEPE mixtures induced malformations in sea urchin embryos at lower concentrations. Increasing HEPE mixture concentrations induced a marked increase in the number of delayed embryos, until all embryos were delayed at the highest concentration tested. At the molecular level, the HEPE mixtures induced variations in the expression of 50 genes involved in different functional processes, mainly down-regulating these genes at the earliest stages of embryonic development. These findings are ecologically significant, considering that during diatom blooms, sea urchins could accumulate HEPEs in concentrations comparable to those tested in the present study.

scholarly journals Two Benthic Diatoms, Nanofrustulum shiloi and Striatella unipunctata, Encapsulated in Alginate Beads, Influence the Reproductive Efficiency of Paracentrotus lividus by Modulating the Gene Expression

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
Francesca Glaviano ◽  
Nadia Ruocco ◽  
Emanuele Somma ◽  
Giuseppe De Rosa ◽  
Virginia Campani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Alginate Beads ◽  
Benthic Diatoms ◽  
Hydrogel Beads ◽  
Bioassay Guided Fractionation

Physiological effects of algal metabolites is a key step for the isolation of interesting bioactive compounds. Invertebrate grazers may be fed on live diatoms or dried, pelletized, and added to compound feeds. Any method may reveal some shortcomings, due to the leaking of wound-activated compounds in the water prior to ingestion. For this reason, encapsulation may represent an important step of bioassay-guided fractionation, because it may assure timely preservation of the active compounds. Here we test the effects of the inclusion in alginate (biocompatible and non-toxic delivery system) matrices to produce beads containing two benthic diatoms for sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus feeding. In particular, we compared the effects of a diatom whose influence on P. lividus was known (Nanofrustulum shiloi) and those of a diatom suspected to be harmful to marine invertebrates, because it is often present in blooms (Striatella unipunctata). Dried N. shiloi and S. unipunctata were offered for one month after encapsulation in alginate hydrogel beads and the larvae produced by sea urchins were checked for viability and malformations. The results indicated that N. shiloi, already known for its toxigenic effects on sea urchin larvae, fully conserved its activity after inclusion in alginate beads. On the whole, benthic diatoms affected the embryogenesis of P. lividus, altering the expression of several genes involved in stress response, development, skeletogenesis and detoxification processes. Interactomic analysis suggested that both diatoms activated a similar stress response pathway, through the up-regulation of hsp60, hsp70, NF-κB, 14-3-3 ε and MDR1 genes. This research also demonstrates that the inclusion in alginate beads may represent a feasible technique to isolate diatom-derived bioactive compounds.

scholarly journals The Diverse Transformer (Trf) Protein Family in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus Acts through a Collaboration between Cellular and Humoral Immune Effector Arms

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6639
Author(s):  
Iryna Yakovenko ◽  
Asaf Donnyo ◽  
Or Ioscovich ◽  
Benyamin Rosental ◽  
Matan Oren
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Protein Family ◽  
Coelomic Fluid ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Immune Effector ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Humoral Immune

Sea urchins are long-living marine invertebrates with a complex innate immune system, which includes expanded families of immune receptors. A central immune gene family in sea urchins encodes the Transformer (Trf) proteins. The Trf family has been studied mainly in the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Here, we explore this protein family in the Mediterranean Sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The PlTrf genes and predicted proteins are highly diverse and show a typical Trf size range and structure. Coelomocytes and cell-free coelomic fluid from P. lividus contain different PlTrf protein repertoires with a shared subset, that bind specifically to E. coli. Using FACS, we identified five different P. lividus coelomocyte sub-populations with cell surface PlTrf protein expression. The relative abundance of the PlTrf-positive cells increases sharply following immune challenge with E. coli, but not following challenge with LPS or the sea urchin pathogen, Vibrio penaeicida. Phagocytosis of E. coli by P. lividus phagocytes is mediated through the cell-free coelomic fluid and is inhibited by blocking PlTrf activity with anti-SpTrf antibodies. Together, our results suggest a collaboration between cellular and humoral PlTrf-mediated effector arms in the P. lividus specific immune response to pathogens.

scholarly journals Perception of Dissolved Food-Related Compounds by the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orlando J. Luis ◽  
João M. Gago
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Wheat Gluten ◽  
Bovine Milk ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Related Compounds ◽  
Tube Feet

Echinoid feeding biology is well known but their sluggish responses to chemical stimuli have turned them into inadequately worked in the field of chemoreception. Echinoid responses to chemical stimulation had allowed, so far, only qualitative analyses based on tube-feet activity, directional, or masticatory movements, and artificial agarose foods. Besides stimulation through plumes of dissolved organic compounds and response analysis based on tube-feet activity, we propose another method to chemically stimulate echinoids that allows for fast and unambiguous responses and thus, quantitative analyses. Small squared pieces of absorbent semi-synthetic cleaning cloths, soaked with specific chemical compounds (simulacra), such as water insoluble lipid oils, were deposited singly or concurrently with a blank on the aboral hemisphere of each sea urchin, allowing choice and eventual transport down to the mouth by tube feet and spines of one or both cloths. The responsiveness of Paracentrotus lividus was clearly dependent on its nutritional state. Well-fed sea urchins (maize whole grains) rarely responded, while the ones fed with less caloric rations (Kombu seaweed) responded faster and objectively. Stimulating sea urchin P. lividus with 41 different food-related compounds, such as carbohydrates, proteins, peptides and amino acids, oils and fatty acids, and purified chemicals related with some human basic tastes, it was possible to evidence a clear ability of this echinoid species to positively discriminate proteins, starches, and a very few oils. Perceived as incitants/stimulants we have only found among proteins gliadin (from wheat gluten) but not casein (from bovine milk), among polysaccharides starch but not laminarin (from kelp) or glycogen (from mussels), and among lipids only the fatty acid linolenic acid. Among tissues, Kombu alga flesh and mussel flesh were readily perceived as both incitant/stimulant but not Kombu and mussel extracts. Therefore, the combined results reported here provide evidence for P. lividus as an omnivorous species rather than a strictly herbivorous marine species. However, the restricted group of food-related compounds perceived by this species as incitants or suppressants and as stimulants or deterrents was shown to be remarkably related to other vertebrates whose kinship was confirmed by the sequencing of the genome of another plant-eater sea urchin.

scholarly journals Effects of Glyphosate-Based and Derived Products on Sea Urchin Larval Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 661
Author(s):  
Davide Asnicar ◽  
Costanza Cappelli ◽  
Ahmad Safuan Sallehuddin ◽  
Nur Atiqah Maznan ◽  
Maria Gabriella Marin
Keyword(s):  
Larval Development ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Parent Compound ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Aminomethylphosphonic Acid ◽  
Main Degradation Product ◽  
Herbicide Glyphosate

Despite the widespread use of herbicide glyphosate in cultivation, its extensive runoff into rivers and to coastal areas, and the persistence of this chemical and its main degradation product (aminomethylphosphonic acid, AMPA) in the environment, there is still little information on the potential negative effects of glyphosate, its commercial formulation Roundup® and AMPA on marine species. This study was conducted with the aim of providing a comparative evaluation of the effects of glyphosate-based and its derived chemicals on the larval development of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, thus providing new data to describe the potential ecotoxicity of these contaminants. In particular, the effects on larval development, growth and metabolism were assessed during 48 h of exposure from the time of egg fertilization. The results confirm that AMPA and its parent compound, glyphosate have similar toxicity, as observed in other marine invertebrates. However, interestingly, the Roundup® formulation seemed to be less toxic than the glyphosate alone.

scholarly journals Contrasting recruitment seasonality of sea urchin species in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (eastern Atlantic)

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 475 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. GARCIA-SANZ ◽  
P. G. NAVARRO ◽  
F. TUYA
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Gran Canaria ◽  
Arbacia Lixula

Despite sea-urchins can play an important role affecting the community structure of subtidal bottoms, factors controlling the dynamics of sea-urchin populations are still poorly understood. We assessed the seasonal variation in recruitment of three sea-urchin species (Diadema africanum, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula) at Gran Canaria Island (eastern Atlantic) via monthly deployment of artificial collectors throughout an entire annual cycle on each of four adjacent habitat patches (seagrasses, sandy patches, ‘urchin-grazed’ barrens and macroalgal-dominated beds) within a shallow coastal landscape. Paracentrotus lividus and A. lixula had exclusively one main recruitment peak in late winter-spring. Diadema africanum recruitment was also seasonal, but recruits appeared in late summer-autumn, particularly on ‘urchin-grazed’ barrens with large abundances of adult conspecifics. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated non-overlapping seasonal recruitment patterns of the less abundant species (P. lividus and A. lixula) with the most conspicuous species (D. africanum) in the study area.

scholarly journals Diverse Transformers (Trf) Protein Family in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus Act through Collaboration between Cellular and Humoral Immune Effector Arms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iryna Yakovenko ◽  
Asaf Donnyo ◽  
Or Ioscovich ◽  
Benyamin Rosental ◽  
Matan Oren
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Protein Family ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Immune Effector ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Purple Sea Urchin ◽  
Humoral Immune ◽  
Extended Families

Sea urchins are long-living invertebrates with a complex immune system which includes extended families of immune receptors. A central immune gene family in the sea urchins encodes for the Transformer (Trf) proteins. The Trf family was so far studied mainly in the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. In this study, we explored this protein family in the Mediterranean Sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The PlTrf genes and predicted proteins were found to be highly diverse and showed a typical Trf size range and structure. We found that P. lividus coelomocytes and hemolymph contain different PlTrf protein repertoires with a shared subset which specifically bind E. coli bacteria. Using FACS, we identified five different P. lividus coelomocyte sub-populations with cell surface Trf protein expression. The relative abundance of the Trf-positive cells sharply increased following immune challenge with E. coli bacteria, but not following challenge with LPS or sea urchin pathogen V. penaeicida. Finally, we demonstrated that the phagocytosis of E. coli bacteria by P. lividus phagocytes is mediated through the hemolymph and is inhibited by blocking Trf activity with anti-Trf antibodies. Together, our results suggest collaboration between cellular and humoral Trf-mediated effector arms in the P. lividus specific immune response to pathogens.

scholarly journals Complex Mixture-Associated Hormesis and Toxicity: The Case of Leather Tanning Industry

Dose-Response ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. dose-response.0 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Pagano ◽  
Giuseppe Castello ◽  
Marialuisa Gallo ◽  
Ilaria Borriello ◽  
Marco Guida
Keyword(s):  
Growth Inhibition ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Selenastrum Capricornutum ◽  
Tannery Effluent ◽  
Developmental Defects ◽  
Algal Growth Inhibition

A series of studies investigated the toxicities of tannery-derived complex mixtures, i.e. vegetable tannin (VT) from Acacia sp. or phenol-based synthetic tannin (ST), and wastewater from tannin-based vs. chromium-based tanneries. Toxicity was evaluated by multiple bioassays including developmental defects and loss of fertilization rate in sea urchin embryos and sperm ( Paracentrotus lividus and Sphaerechinus granularis), and algal growth inhibition ( Dunaliella tertiolecta and Selenastrum capricornutum). Both VT and ST water extracts resulted in hormetic effects at concentrations ranging 0.1 to 0.3%, and toxicity at levels ≥1%, both in sea urchin embryo and sperm, and in algal growth bioassays. When comparing tannin-based tannery wastewater (TTW) vs. chromium-based tannery effluent (CTE), a hormesis to toxicity trend was observed for TTW both in terms of developmental and fertilization toxicity in sea urchins, and in algal growth inhibition, with hormetic effects at 0.1 to 0.2% TTW, and toxicity at TTW levels ≥1%. Unlike TTW, CTE showed a monotonic toxicity increase from the lowest tested level (0.1%) and CTE toxicity at higher levels was significantly more severe than TTW-induced toxicity. The results support the view that leather production utilizing tannins might be regarded as a more environmentally friendly procedure than chromium-based tanning process.

scholarly journals The impact of ocean acidification and warming on the skeletal mechanical properties of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus from laboratory and field observations

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 727-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Collard ◽  
Samuel P. S. Rastrick ◽  
Piero Calosi ◽  
Yoann Demolder ◽  
Jean Dille ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Fracture Force ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration is leading to changes in the carbonate chemistry and the temperature of the ocean. The impact of these processes on marine organisms will depend on their ability to cope with those changes, particularly the maintenance of calcium carbonate structures. Both a laboratory experiment (long-term exposure to decreased pH and increased temperature) and collections of individuals from natural environments characterized by low pH levels (individuals from intertidal pools and around a CO2 seep) were here coupled to comprehensively study the impact of near-future conditions of pH and temperature on the mechanical properties of the skeleton of the euechinoid sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. To assess skeletal mechanical properties, we characterized the fracture force, Young's modulus, second moment of area, material nanohardness, and specific Young's modulus of sea urchin test plates. None of these parameters were significantly affected by low pH and/or increased temperature in the laboratory experiment and by low pH only in the individuals chronically exposed to lowered pH from the CO2 seeps. In tidal pools, the fracture force was higher and the Young's modulus lower in ambital plates of individuals from the rock pool characterized by the largest pH variations but also a dominance of calcifying algae, which might explain some of the variation. Thus, decreases of pH to levels expected for 2100 did not directly alter the mechanical properties of the test of P. lividus. Since the maintenance of test integrity is a question of survival for sea urchins and since weakened tests would increase the sea urchins' risk of predation, our findings indicate that the decreasing seawater pH and increasing seawater temperature expected for the end of the century should not represent an immediate threat to sea urchins vulnerability.

scholarly journals Green Extraction Strategies for Sea Urchin Waste Valorization

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Marzorati ◽  
Giordana Martinelli ◽  
Michela Sugni ◽  
Luisella Verotta
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Paracentrotus Lividus ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Green Extraction ◽  
Successive Extraction

Commonly known as “purple sea urchin,” Paracentrotus lividus occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This species is a highly appreciated food resource and Italy is the main consumer among the European countries. Gonads are the edible part of the animal but they represent only a small fraction (10–30%) of the entire sea urchin mass, therefore, the majority ends up as waste. Recently, an innovative methodology was successfully developed to obtain high-value collagen from sea urchin by-products to be used for tissue engineering. However, tissues used for the collagen extraction are still a small portion of the sea urchin waste (<20%) and the remaining part, mainly the carbonate-rich test and spines, are discarded. Residual cell tissues, tests, and spines contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, and a class of small polyphenols, called polyhydroxynaphthoquinones (PHNQ). PHNQ, due to their polyhydroxylated quinonoid nature, show remarkable pharmacologic effects, and have high economic significance and widespread application in several cosmetic and pharmaceuticals applications. A green extraction strategy aimed to obtain compounds of interest from the wastes of sea urchins was developed. The core strategy was the supercritical CO2 technique, characterized by low environmental impacts. Fatty acids and carotenoids were successfully and selectively extracted and identified depending on the physical parameters of the supercritical CO2 extraction. Finally, the exhausted powder was extracted by solvent-based procedures to yield PHNQ. The presence of Spinochrome A and Spinochrome B was confirmed and extracts were characterized by a remarkably high antioxidant activity, measured through the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. Overall, the selective and successive extraction methods were validated for the valorization of waste from sea urchins, demonstrating the feasibility of the techniques targeting added-value compounds.

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