Search results for "Snails"

Exploring land snails’ response to habitat characteristics and their potential as bioindicators of riparian forest quality

2021

Abstract Riparian ecosystems are crucial for landscape-level biodiversity, especially in highly anthropic and agricultural areas. Although the low mobility of snails reduces their dispersal capacity and makes them vulnerable to habitat degradation, they are less commonly used as indicators. We evaluated the potential of land snails as bioindicators of riparian forest quality in central European riparian forests by surveying snail communities in relation to habitat characteristics that characterize its quality. Habitat characteristics were found to affect both snail abundance and species richness. The abundance of snail species increased with the forest continuity, forest width and abundance…

Infection success of Echinoparyphium aconiatum (Trematoda) in its snail host under high temperature: role of host resistance

2014

Background Extreme weather events such as summer heat waves become more frequent owing to global climate change and are predicted to alter disease dynamics. This is because high temperatures can reduce host immune function. Predicting the impact of climate change on host-parasite interactions is, however, difficult as temperature may also affect parasite infective stages and other host characteristics determining the outcome of interaction. Methods Two experiments were conducted to investigate these phenomena in a Lymnaea stagnalis–Echinoparyphium aconiatum (Trematoda) interaction. In the first experiment, the effects of exposure of snails to experimental heat waves [maintenance at 25°C vs.…

Is the El Niño-Southern Oscillation likely to increase the risk of Fasciola transmission?

2007

(2007). Is the El Nino–Southern Oscillation likely to increase the risk of Fasciola transmission? Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology: Vol. 101, No. 6, pp. 555-557.

Cytogenetics of the land snails Cantareus aspersus and C. mazzullii (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pulmonata).

2004

A cytogenetic study was carried out on the chromosomes and nuclear DNA contents of the land snails Cantareus aspersus and C. mazzullii (Gastropoda: Pulmonata). Chromosomes were studied using Giemsa staining, banding methods and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with three repetitive DNA probes [18S rDNA, (GATA)n and (TTAGGG)n]. Results were very similar in the two species both showing (1) 54 bi-armed chromosomes [submetacentrics (SM) C metacentrics (M) C subtelocentrics (ST)]; (2) 10 terminal NORs after sequential application of rDNA FISH and silver staining; (3) uniform DNA fluorescence with CMA3 and DAPI staining and (4) genomic composition considerably enriched both in highly- and…

On the Ultrastructure and Function of Rhogocytes from the Pond Snail Lymnaea stagnalis

2015

Rhogocytes, also termed “pore cells”, occur as solitary or clustered cells in the connective tissue of gastropod molluscs. Rhogocytes possess an enveloping lamina of extracellular matrix and enigmatic extracellular lacunae bridged by cytoplasmic bars that form 20 nm diaphragmatic slits likely to act as a molecular sieve. Recent papers highlight the embryogenesis and ultrastructure of these cells, and their role in heavy metal detoxification. Rhogocytes are the site of hemocyanin or hemoglobin biosynthesis in gastropods. Based on electron microscopy, we recently proposed a possible pathway of hemoglobin exocytosis through the slit apparatus, and provided molecular evidence of a common phylog…

A lift in snail's gut provides an efficient colonization route for tardigrades.

2022

Pilotażowe badania sensoryczne autorskich receptur preparatów kosmetycznych z zawartością śluzu ślimaka

2017

Od wielu lat ślimaki lądowe rodzaju Helicidae pełnią rolę luksusowego surowca spożywczego. Ich spożycie oscylujące wokół 40 tysięcy ton rocznie co dało początek idei hodowli fermowych ślimaków lądowych. Pojawił się również pomysł wykorzystania ich wydzieliny w produktach kosmetycznych o działaniu leczniczo-upiększającym. Śluz ze ślimaka wykazuje, m.in. właściwości: regenerujące, ochronne, przeciwzapalne, nawilżające, zwiększające elastyczność skóry. Celem pracy była analiza jakości sensorycznej autorskich receptur preparatów kosmetycznych zawierających śluz ze ślimaka. Badania sensoryczne odgrywają ważną rolę przy opracowywaniu nowopowstałych receptur preparatów kosmetycznych oraz w potwier…

Potential for adaptation to climate change: family-level variation in fitness-related traits and their responses to heat waves in a snail population.

2017

Background On-going global climate change poses a serious threat for natural populations unless they are able to evolutionarily adapt to changing environmental conditions (e.g. increasing average temperatures, occurrence of extreme weather events). A prerequisite for evolutionary change is within-population heritable genetic variation in traits subject to selection. In relation to climate change, mainly phenological traits as well as heat and desiccation resistance have been examined for such variation. Therefore, it is important to investigate adaptive potential under climate change conditions across a broader range of traits. This is especially true for life-history traits and defences ag…