Microrheometry of sub-nanolitre biopolymer samples: non-Newtonian flow phenomena of carnivorous plant mucilage

Erni, Philipp; Varagnat, Matthieu; Clasen, Christian; Crest, Jérôme; McKinley, Gareth H.

doi:10.1039/c1sm05815k

Cited by 57 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 74 publications

(162 reference statements)

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“…Galactosidases and xylosidases (55) are also among the genes with the hydrolase annotation, and enzymes encoding both have been identified in the Nepenthes trap fluid proteome (56,57). Nepenthes and Drosera (carnivorous sundew plant) digestive mucilage contains galactose and xylose (58), which may require breakdown for peptide and other nutrient absorption in U. gibba traps as well (59). Three xylosidase genes-unitig_62.g23624.t1, unitig_62.g23625.t1, and unitig_748.g7352.t1-show 4-to 35-fold trap-enhanced expression (SI Appendix, Dataset S8).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Long-read sequencing uncovers the adaptive topography of a carnivorous plant genome

Lan

Renner

Ibarra-Laclette

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Utricularia gibba, the humped bladderwort, is a carnivorous plant that retains a tiny nuclear genome despite at least two rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) since common ancestry with grapevine and other species. We used a third-generation genome assembly with several complete chromosomes to reconstruct the two most recent lineage-specific ancestral genomes that led to the modern U. gibba genome structure. Patterns of subgenome dominance in the most recent WGD, both architectural and transcriptional, are suggestive of allopolyploidization, which may have generated genomic novelty and led to instantaneous speciation. Syntenic duplicates retained in polyploid blocks are enriched for transcription factor functions, whereas gene copies derived from ongoing tandem duplication events are enriched in metabolic functions potentially important for a carnivorous plant. Among these are tandem arrays of cysteine protease genes with trap-specific expression that evolved within a protein family known to be useful in the digestion of animal prey. Further enriched functions among tandem duplicates (also with trap-enhanced expression) include peptide transport (intercellular movement of broken-down prey proteins), ATPase activities (bladder-trap acidification and transmembrane nutrient transport), hydrolase and chitinase activities (breakdown of prey polysaccharides), and cell-wall dynamic components possibly associated with active bladder movements. Whereas independently polyploid Arabidopsis syntenic gene duplicates are similarly enriched for transcriptional regulatory activities, Arabidopsis tandems are distinct from those of U. gibba, while still metabolic and likely reflecting unique adaptations of that species. Taken together, these findings highlight the special importance of tandem duplications in the adaptive landscapes of a carnivorous plant genome.

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Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Long-read sequencing uncovers the adaptive topography of a carnivorous plant genome

Lan

Renner

Ibarra-Laclette

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…For example, some carnivorous plants of the genus Drosera capture springtails with gluey mucilage, secreted by hair-like structures (Verbeek and Boasson, 1993). This glue exhibits rheological behaviour quite similar to that of the harvestman pedipalpal setae studied by us (Erni et al, 2011). In addition, Stenus beetles (Staphylinidae) quickly protrude their elongated labium, which distally bears microtrichious pads covered by a sticky, viscous fluid that adheres largely independent of surface topography and chemistry (Bauer and Pfeiffer, 1991;Betz, 1996;Koerner et al, 2012a;Koerner et al, 2012b).…”

Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 85%

Gluing the ‘unwettable’: soil-dwelling harvestmen use viscoelastic fluids for capturing springtails

Wolff

Schönhofer

Schaber

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Gluing can be a highly efficient mechanism of prey capture, as it should require less complex sensory-muscular feedback. Whereas it is well known in insects, this mechanism is much less studied in arachnids, except spiders. Soil-dwelling harvestmen (Opiliones, Nemastomatidae) bear drumstick-like glandular hairs (clavate setae) at their pedipalps, which were previously hypothesized to be sticky and used in prey capture. However, clear evidence for this was lacking to date. Using high-speed videography, we found that the harvestman Mitostoma chrysomelas was able to capture fast-moving springtails (Collembola) just by a slight touch of the pedipalp. Adhesion of single clavate setae increased proportionally with pulloff velocity, from 1 μN at 1 μm s −1 up to 7 μN at 1 mm s −1 , which corresponds to the typical weight of springtails. Stretched glue droplets exhibited characteristics of a viscoelastic fluid forming beadson-a-string morphology over time, similar to spider capture threads and the sticky tentacles of carnivorous plants. These analogies indicate that viscoelasticity is a highly efficient mechanism for prey capture, as it holds stronger the faster the struggling prey moves. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy of snap-frozen harvestmen with glued springtails revealed that the gluey secretions have a high affinity to wet the microstructured cuticle of collembolans, which was previously reported to be barely wettable for both polar and non-polar liquids. Glue droplets can be contaminated with the detached scaly setae of collembolans, which may represent a counter-adaptation against entrapment by the glue, similar to the scaly surfaces of Lepidoptera and Trichoptera (Insecta) facilitating escape from spider webs.

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“…The rheological characteristics of the sundew adhesive, involving high fluid viscosity, capillary thinning and extensional viscoelasticity, have been investigated by newly developed interferometry-based microrheometer and capillary thinning microrheometer [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sundew adhesive: a naturally occurring hydrogel

Huang

Wang

Sun

et al. 2015

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Bioadhesives have drawn increasing interest in recent years, owing to their ecofriendly, biocompatible and biodegradable nature. As a typical bioadhesive, sticky exudate observed on the stalked glands of sundew plants aids in the capture of insects and this viscoelastic adhesive has triggered extensive interests in revealing the implied adhesion mechanisms. Despite the significant progress that has been made, the structural traits of the sundew adhesive, especially the morphological characteristics in nanoscale, which may give rise to the viscous and elastic properties of this mucilage, remain unclear. Here, we show that the sundew adhesive is a naturally occurring hydrogel, consisting of nanonetwork architectures assembled with polysaccharides. The assembly process of the polysaccharides in this hydrogel is proposed to be driven by electrostatic interactions mediated with divalent cations. Negatively charged nanoparticles, with an average diameter of 231.9 + 14.8 nm, are also obtained from this hydrogel and these nanoparticles are presumed to exert vital roles in the assembly of the nano-networks. Further characterization via atomic force microscopy indicates that the stretching deformation of the sundew adhesive is associated with the flexibility of its fibrous architectures. It is also observed that the adhesion strength of the sundew adhesive is susceptible to low temperatures. Both elasticity and adhesion strength of the sundew adhesive reduce in response to lowering the ambient temperature. The feasibility of applying sundew adhesive for tissue engineering is subsequently explored in this study. Results show that the fibrous scaffolds obtained from sundew adhesive are capable of increasing the adhesion of multiple types of cells, including fibroblast cells and smooth muscle cells, a property that results from the enhanced adsorption of serum proteins. In addition, in light of the weak cytotoxic activity exhibited by these scaffolds towards a variety of mammal cells, evidence is sufficient to propose that sundew adhesive is a promising nanomaterial worth further exploitation in the field of tissue engineering.

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Microrheometry of sub-nanolitre biopolymer samples: non-Newtonian flow phenomena of carnivorous plant mucilage

Cited by 57 publications

References 74 publications

Long-read sequencing uncovers the adaptive topography of a carnivorous plant genome

Long-read sequencing uncovers the adaptive topography of a carnivorous plant genome

Gluing the ‘unwettable’: soil-dwelling harvestmen use viscoelastic fluids for capturing springtails

Sundew adhesive: a naturally occurring hydrogel

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