Susceptibility of the Giant African snail (Achatina fulica) exposed to the gastropod parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita

Williams, A.J.; Rae, Robbie

doi:10.1016/j.jip.2015.03.012

Cited by 25 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Previous studies of gastropod mortality caused by Phasmarhabditis spp. suggests that mortality can be rate-, size-, or age-dependent [33,40]. Depending on results, the application rate may be lowered to Nemaslug1 recommendation of 30 DJs/cm 2 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality of the invasive white garden snail Theba pisana exposed to three US isolates of Phasmarhabditis spp (P. hermaphrodita, P. californica, and P. papillosa)

Ley

Schurkman

Wilen³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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Theba pisana is a serious snail pest in many parts of the world and affects diverse crops including grain, vegetables, grapevines, and ornamental plants and shrubs. Due to its gregarious nature, ability to reproduce rapidly, and the difficulty of controlling it by conventional methods, it has the potential to become a significant pest where introduced. Mitigating this pest is an important challenge that must be addressed. Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, is a gastropod-killing nematode that is commercially available only in Europe (Nemaslug ®) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Slugtech ® SP). The use of effective gastropod-killing nematodes in the genus Phasmarhabditis (P. hermaphrodita, P. californica and P. papillosa) in California may provide one strategy for alleviating the potential damage and further spread of these snails, which are currently limited to San Diego and Los Angeles counties. Laboratory assays demonstrated for the first time that US isolates of P. hermaphrodita, P. californica and P. papillosa at 150 DJs/cm 2 caused significant mortality and are equally lethal to T. pisana. Molluscicidal efficacy of these nematodes are comparable with those of iron phosphate, at the recommended high dose of 4.88 kg/m 2. Additional trials are needed to determine their effects at lower dose and whether they are dependent on the size or age of the snails.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality of the invasive white garden snail Theba pisana exposed to three US isolates of Phasmarhabditis spp (P. hermaphrodita, P. californica, and P. papillosa)

Ley

Schurkman

Wilen³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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“…For example, continued lab cultivation (since 1944) of the Dougherty strain of Caenorhabditis briggsae fed on the bacterium Escherichia coli and kept at constant temperatures resulted in defects in movement, chemotaxis and the ability to respond to dauer pheromones (Fodor et al, 1983) due to mutations in the G-protein coupled receptor genes srg-36 and srg-37 (McGrath et al, 2011). However, it must be noted that even if there was some sort of within lab evolution ongoing with the continued culturing conditions of P. hermaphrodita DMG0001 it remains as virulent as 10 years ago (Williams & Rae, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural variation in chemoattraction in the gastropod parasitic nematodes Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, P. neopapillosa and P. californica exposed to slug mucus

Andrus

Rae

2019

Nematol.

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SummaryPhasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a lethal parasite of several slug species and has been formulated into a biological control agent for farmers and gardeners. Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita responds to slug faeces, mucus and volatile cues to find hosts in soil. However, these results have only focused on one strain of P. hermaphrodita (DMG0001). We exposed four strains of P. hermaphrodita (and DMG0001), three strains of P. neopapillosa and two strains of P. californica to mucus from seven common slug species. Furthermore, we investigated whether there was a relationship between chemoattraction and the numbers of offspring that were produced on each host species. Natural isolates of P. hermaphrodita differed in their preference of slug species whereas P. neopapillosa tended to prefer Arion sp. and strains of P. californica displayed striking differences in their responses. The reasons for positive chemoattraction to mucus were not due to higher numbers of offspring produced on these hosts.

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“…The major anatomical difference between slugs and snails is the presence of the snail’s shell, unlike slugs, which have a reduced internalised shell 5 . Recent studies have shown that upon nematode infection some snail species ( Lissachatina fulica and Cepaea nemoralis ) have nematodes trapped in their shells 15, 16 but this process is remarkably uncharacterised and not understood. It is unknown how common or evolutionarily conserved this response is; whether it is specific to one nematode species or whether this is a laboratory based phenomenon or is a common procedure used in the wild by snails to kill parasitic nematodes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes

Rae

2017

Sci Rep

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Exoskeletons have evolved 18 times independently over 550 MYA and are essential for the success of the Gastropoda. The gastropod shell shows a vast array of different sizes, shapes and structures, and is made of conchiolin and calcium carbonate, which provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Here, I report that the gastropod shell has another function and has been co-opted as a defense system to encase and kill parasitic nematodes. Upon infection, cells on the inner layer of the shell adhere to the nematode cuticle, swarm over its body and fuse it to the inside of the shell. Shells of wild Cepaea nemoralis, C. hortensis and Cornu aspersum from around the U.K. are heavily infected with several nematode species including Caenorhabditis elegans. By examining conchology collections I show that nematodes are permanently fixed in shells for hundreds of years and that nematode encapsulation is a pleisomorphic trait, prevalent in both the achatinoid and non-achatinoid clades of the Stylommatophora (and slugs and shelled slugs), which diverged 90–130 MYA. Taken together, these results show that the shell also evolved to kill parasitic nematodes and this is the only example of an exoskeleton that has been co-opted as an immune system.

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Susceptibility of the Giant African snail (Achatina fulica) exposed to the gastropod parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita

Cited by 25 publications

References 19 publications

Mortality of the invasive white garden snail Theba pisana exposed to three US isolates of Phasmarhabditis spp (P. hermaphrodita, P. californica, and P. papillosa)

Mortality of the invasive white garden snail Theba pisana exposed to three US isolates of Phasmarhabditis spp (P. hermaphrodita, P. californica, and P. papillosa)

Natural variation in chemoattraction in the gastropod parasitic nematodes Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, P. neopapillosa and P. californica exposed to slug mucus

The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes

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