Dart receipt promotes sperm storage in the garden snail Helix aspersa

Rogers, David W.; Chase, Ronald

doi:10.1007/s002650100345

Cited by 75 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…As the spermatophore is transferred into this bursa tract diverticulum in C. aspersum, it was proposed that the conformational change and the peristalsis would delay digestion of donated sperm and promote sperm storage. Indeed, follow-up studies found that successful dart shooting, or experimental injection of only the mucus, resulted in greater sperm storage and paternity of the sperm donor (Landolfa et al, 2001;Rogers and Chase, 2001;Chase and Blanchard, 2006). However, it has been reported that, contrary to the results in C. aspersum, dart shooting has no influence on sperm storage in Arianta arbustorum, which also belongs to the Helicidae just like C. aspersum (Bojat and Haase, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Common effect of the mucus transferred during mating in two dart-shooting snail species from different families

Kimura

Chiba

Koene

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Several taxa of pulmonate land snails exhibit a conspicuous mating behaviour, the shooting of so-called love darts. During mating, such land snail species stab a mating partner with a mucus-coated dart. It has previously been shown that the sperm donor physiologically influences the sperm recipient via the mucus covering the dart and thereby decreases the number of sperm digested by the recipient. However, the generality of this effect of the dart's mucus is unclear, because almost all the previous studies on the effect of the mucus used the brown garden snail Cornu aspersum from the family Helicidae. Therefore, the relationship between the acquisition of the mucus effect on the recipient and the evolution of the dart itself, and its mucus, is still open to debate. To test the commonality of the physiological effect of the dart mucus, we examined this in Euhadra peliomphala, a species from the Bradybaenidae family, and compared our findings with the results of previous work using C. aspersum. Our experiments showed that in E. peliomphala, the dart mucus had a physiological effect and lowered the accessibility of the gametolytic organ, as found in C. aspersum. This indicates that in various dart-bearing species the mucus from the dart glands targets the same organ and that the inhibition of sperm digestion has played a crucial role in the evolution of the dart and its mucus.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Common effect of the mucus transferred during mating in two dart-shooting snail species from different families

Kimura

Chiba

Koene

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…We begin with the knowledge that massive sperm digestion occurs in the female tract of C. aspersus. On an average, about 99.98% of transferred sperm are digested in the bursa copulatrix before they reach the spermathecal sacs (Rogers & Chase 2001). Most of the digestion probably occurs at the junction of the bursa tract and the bursa tract diverticulum, because it is here that enzymes from the bursa copulatrix encounter allosperm en route to the spermatheca (Lind 1973).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The snail's love-dart delivers mucus to increase paternity

2006

Self Cite

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Many of the seemingly bizarre animal behaviours can be understood only by acknowledging the power of sex to shape evolution. A case in point is the so-called love-dart that some terrestrial molluscs shoot at their prospective sexual partners. Given that the likelihood of copulation is not different after solid hits than after complete misses, why do these suitors act so violently towards their chosen mates? Previously, it was shown that successful dart shooting enhances paternity. We conducted an experiment to determine whether the dart achieves its effect by a purely mechanical action or by transferring a bioactive substance. We found that injections of mucus from a gland associated with the dart more than doubled paternity relative to injections of saline. These results support the hypothesis that the dart transfers a substance capable of reconfiguring the spermatophore-receiving organs. While dart shooting probably evolved as the result of sperm competition, a role for cryptic female choice cannot be excluded. Our results imply that if cryptic female choice is operating in this system, it is likely to be based on the properties of the mucus and not on properties of the dart itself. Since we also found evidence of early-male sperm precedence, we conclude that snails can optimize their reproductive success by mating with virgins and shooting their darts accurately.

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“…These contractions reconfigured the organs in such a manner as to allow allosperm to escape enzymatic digestion and proceed to the spermathecal storage sacs. On an average, about 99.98% of transferred sperm are digested in the bursa copulatrix before they reach the spermathecal sacs (Rogers and Chase, 2001). Chase and Blanchard (2006) supported the hypothesis that the dart transfers a substance via the mucus capable of reconfiguring the spermatophore-receiving organs and it may be a peptide.…”

Section: (A) a Continuous Epithelium Of Columnar Cells The Nephrocytmentioning

confidence: 99%

Histopathological Changes Induced by Metaldehyde in Eobania vermiculata (Müller 1774)

2011

Alexandria Science Exchange Journal: An International Quarterly

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Metaldehyde is a specific molluscicide for terrestrial snails and slugs. Histopathological changes induced by metaldehyde in the terrestrial snail E. vermiculata were investigated by light microscopy in order to study its cellular toxicity. Alterations in digestive gland included cellular infiltration, destruction of intertubular connective tissue, and extensive vacuolation in the cytoplasm of digestive cells. Degeneration and necrosis in the lining epithelium of the digestive tubules were also noticed. Irregular thickening in the outer covering muscular layer, thinning of basal layer, atrophy and degeneration of mucous cells were the most observed changes in dart gland. The histological alterations in the kidney were degeneration of nephrocytes, and an increase in the number and size of concretions in nephrocytes. Metaldehyde showed cytotoxic effects in all tested organs, that in turn leads to failure of the digestive, reproductive and excretory systems.

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Dart receipt promotes sperm storage in the garden snail Helix aspersa

Cited by 75 publications

References 32 publications

Common effect of the mucus transferred during mating in two dart-shooting snail species from different families

Common effect of the mucus transferred during mating in two dart-shooting snail species from different families

The snail's love-dart delivers mucus to increase paternity

Histopathological Changes Induced by Metaldehyde in Eobania vermiculata (Müller 1774)

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