Vital Xochitl Guadalupe, Rey Felisa, Cartaxana Paulo, Cruz Sónia, Domingues Maria Rosário, Calado Ricardo, Simões Nuno
Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Alcaldía Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico.
UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto de Abrigo S/N, Sisal 97356, Mexico.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Nov 5;11(11):3157. doi: 10.3390/ani11113157.
Long-term retention of functional chloroplasts in animal cells occurs only in sacoglossan sea slugs. Analysis of molecules related to the maintenance of these organelles can provide valuable information on this trait (kleptoplasty). The goal of our research was to characterize the pigment and fatty acid (FA) composition of the sea slug and their associated chloroplasts that are kept functional for a long time, and to quantify total lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid contents, identifying differences between habitats: shallow (0-4 m) and deeper (8-12 m) waters. Specimens were sampled and analyzed after a month of food deprivation, through HPLC, GC-MS and colorimetric methods, to ensure an assessment of long-term kleptoplasty in relation to depth. Pigment signatures indicate that individuals retain chloroplasts from different macroalgal sources. FA classes, phospholipid and glycolipid contents displayed dissimilarities between depths. However, heterogeneities in pigment and FA profiles, as well as total lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid amounts in were not related to habitat depth. The high content of chloroplast origin molecules, such as Chl and glycolipids after a month of starvation, confirms that retains chloroplasts in good biochemical condition. This characterization fills a knowledge gap of an animal model commonly employed to study kleptoplasty.
仅在绿叶海蛞蝓中，动物细胞内的功能性叶绿体才能长期留存。对与这些细胞器维持相关的分子进行分析，可为这一特性（盗食质体）提供有价值的信息。我们研究的目的是表征长期保持功能的海蛞蝓及其相关叶绿体的色素和脂肪酸（FA）组成，并量化总脂质、糖脂和磷脂含量，确定浅水区（0 - 4米）和深水区（8 - 12米）栖息地之间的差异。在禁食一个月后对样本进行采集和分析，采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）、气相色谱 - 质谱联用法（GC - MS）和比色法，以确保评估与深度相关的长期盗食质体情况。色素特征表明，个体保留了来自不同大型藻类来源的叶绿体。脂肪酸类别、磷脂和糖脂含量在不同深度之间表现出差异。然而，色素和脂肪酸谱的异质性，以及总脂质、糖脂和磷脂的含量与栖息地深度无关。饥饿一个月后，叶绿体来源分子（如叶绿素和糖脂）的高含量证实，海蛞蝓能使叶绿体保持良好的生化状态。这一表征填补了常用于研究盗食质体的动物模型的知识空白。
