The origin of microscopic spheres on the exoskeleton of the woodlouse Porcellionides pruinosus (Crustacea: Isopoda) and their effect on its hydrophobicity

Vittori, Miloš (avtor), Gantar, Ivana (avtor)

The dorsal surface of the woodlouse Porcellionides pruinosus is covered with minute spheres, providing its characteristic powdered appearance. Little has been known about their composition and formation. A previously suggested function of these structures was to increase the hydrophobicity of the cuticular surface. We studied the ultrastructure, composition and formation of the spheres as well as tested whether they affect the hydrophobicity of the cuticle. We determined the composition of the spheres with histochemistry and scanning electron microscopy after applying various chemicals. We studied the process of their formation with transmission electron microscopy and assessed the hydrophobicity of the cuticle by measuring contact angles of water droplets with its surface. Our results show that the spheres are largely organic. They contain proteins and glycoproteins or possibly polysaccharides without detectable amounts of lipids. By studying the formation of the spheres we established that they are epicuticular structures. They are deposited early in the premolt stage of the molt cycle around branching extensions of epidermal cells. The sphere-covered cuticle of P. pruinosus is more hydrophobic than the cuticle with experimentally removed spheres as well as the scale-covered cuticle in a related species.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: SEM, TEM, Oniscidea, epicuticle, ecdysis
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: BF - Biotehniška fakulteta
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2020
• Št. strani: 13 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 58, art. 100968
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-119037
• ISSN pri članku: 1467-8039
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.100968
• COBISS.SI-ID: 27496451
• Datum objave v RUL: 01.09.2020

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Arthropod structure & development
• Skrajšan naslov: Arthropod struct. develop.
• Založnik: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1467-8039
• COBISS.SI-ID: 22931929

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: SEM, TEM, Oniscidea, epikutikula

Projekti

• Financer: ARRS - Agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P1-0184
• Naslov: Integrativna zoologija in speleobiologija