Mytilus byssal threads as an environmental marker for metals

Coombs, Thomas L.; Keller, Patricia J.

doi:10.1016/0166-445x(81)90023-0

Cited by 121 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Because these threads came from species that vary in size, habitat and life history, all factors known to affect byssus (e.g. Bell and Gosline, 1997;Coombs and Keller, 1981;Moeser and Carrington, 2006), our ability to distinguish species-level differences is limited. Our approach instead provides a broader insight into the relationship between thread biochemical characteristics and mechanical properties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interspecies comparison of the mechanical properties and biochemical composition of byssal threads

Bouhlel

Genard

Ibrahim

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Several bivalve species produce byssus threads to provide attachment to substrates, with mechanical properties highly variable among species. Here, we examined the distal section of byssal threads produced by a range of bivalve species (Mytilus edulis, Mytilus trossulus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus californianus, Pinna nobilis, Perna perna, Xenostrobus securis, Brachidontes solisianus and Isognomon bicolor) collected from different nearshore environments. Morphological and mechanical properties were measured, and biochemical analyses were performed. Multivariate redundancy analyses on mechanical properties revealed that byssal threads of M. californianus, M. galloprovincialis and P. nobilis have very distinct mechanical behaviours compared with the remaining species. Extensibility, strength and force were the main variables separating these species groups, which were highest for M. californianus and lowest for P. nobilis. Furthermore, the analysis of the amino acid composition revealed that I. bicolor and P. nobilis threads are significantly different from the other species, suggesting a different underlying structural strategy. Determination of metal contents showed that the individual concentration of inorganic elements varies, but that the dominant elements are conserved between species. Altogether, this bivalve species comparison suggests some molecular bases for the biomechanical characteristics of byssal fibres that may reflect phylogenetic limitations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interspecies comparison of the mechanical properties and biochemical composition of byssal threads

Bouhlel

Genard

Ibrahim

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Ash content is quite variable depending on the extent of imbibed seawater removal. It consists of salts, including heavy and transition metals (Coombs & Keller 1981). Collagen represents about 48% of the protein composition of the distal and 33% of the proximal, portion.…”

Section: Proteins In Byssal Threadsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If this amount were chelated by preCols it would represent 3-4 metals per preCol in the distal portion. Many other metals are present at trace levels (Koide et al 1982;Coombs & Keller 1981). The stability constants of chelates formed between Fe(III) and DOPA-containing byssal precursors at pH 7.5 and 20°C were calculated at over 10 40 (Taylor et al 1996).…”

Section: Assembly and Cross-linkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elastomeric gradients: a hedge against stress concentration in marine holdfasts?

Waite

Vaccaro

Sun

et al. 2002

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B

119

138

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The byssal threads of marine mussels are elastomeric fibres with a great capacity for absorbing and dissipating energy. Up to 70% of the total absorbed energy can be dissipated in the byssus. Because byssal threads attach the mussel to hard inert surfaces in its habitat, they must combine the need to be good shock absorbers with appropriate matching of Young's modulus between living tissue and a hard substratum such as stone-stiffnesses that can differ by five orders of magnitude. Recent data suggest that improved modulus matching and decreased stress concentration between different portions of the byssus is achieved by the use of protein gradients. Protein gradients in byssal threads are constructed using natural macromolecular chimeras having a central collagenous domain, variable flanking modules and histidine-rich amino and carboxy termini. Stiff silk-like flanking modules prevail distally, while at the animal end, rubbery modules resembling elastin predominate. In between the two thread ends there is a mix of both module types. The histidine-rich termini provide metal binding/cross-linking sites, while collagen domains may confer self-assembly on all parts of the structure. A graded axial distribution of flanking modules is expected to moderate stress concentration in joined materials having disparate moduli.

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“…Zn, Cu, Fe, V, Al, Si, Ni, Pb, U, etc.) and the concentration of each varies immensely between different environments and even seasonally in the same environment [13,14]. For example, V can become concentrated in the byssus, especially following oil spills, by up to 10 000-fold [15 -17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical homeostasis of a DOPA-enriched biological coating from mussels in response to metal variation

Schmitt

Winter

Bertinetti

et al. 2015

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Protein -metal coordination interactions were recently found to function as crucial mechanical cross-links in certain biological materials. Mussels, for example, use Fe ions from the local environment coordinated to DOPA-rich proteins to stiffen the protective cuticle of their anchoring byssal attachment threads. Bioavailability of metal ions in ocean habitats varies significantly owing to natural and anthropogenic inputs on both short and geological spatio-temporal scales leading to large variations in byssal thread metal composition; however, it is not clear how or if this affects thread performance. Here, we demonstrate that in natural environments mussels can opportunistically replace Fe ions in the DOPA coordination complex with V and Al. In vitro removal of the native DOPA-metal complexes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and replacement with either Fe or V does not lead to statistically significant changes in cuticle performance, indicating that each metal ion is equally sufficient as a DOPA cross-linking agent, able to account for nearly 85% of the stiffness and hardness of the material. Notably, replacement with Al ions also leads to full recovery of stiffness, but only 82% recovery of hardness. These findings have important implications for the adaptability of this biological material in a dynamically changing and unpredictable habitat.

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Mytilus byssal threads as an environmental marker for metals

Cited by 121 publications

References 6 publications

Interspecies comparison of the mechanical properties and biochemical composition of byssal threads

Interspecies comparison of the mechanical properties and biochemical composition of byssal threads

Elastomeric gradients: a hedge against stress concentration in marine holdfasts?

Mechanical homeostasis of a DOPA-enriched biological coating from mussels in response to metal variation

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