Ultrastructure and mineral distribution in the tergal cuticle of the terrestrial isopod Titanethes albus. Adaptations to a karst cave biotope

Hild, Sabine; Neues, Frank; Žnidaršič, Nada; Štrus, Jasna; Epple, Matthias; Marti, Othmar; Ziegler, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.jsb.2009.07.017

Cited by 56 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…2D, E) (Hegdahl et al, 1977a). A similar fibre organization occurs in a number of different Brachyura (true crabs) species (Giraud-Guille, 1984;Dillaman et al, 2005), but has not been described for other Decapoda (Raabe et al, 2006) or other major crustacean taxa like Isopoda (Hild et al, 2008(Hild et al, , 2009Seidl et al, 2011). This type of microstructure is found throughout the endocuticle including the bulges, where the helicoidally organized mineralized fibre layers change their orientation from horizontal ( Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 57%

“…They can occur together in the same layers but also be restricted to specific regions of the cuticle (Levi-Kalisman et al, 2002;Al-Sawalmih et al, 2008;Hild et al, 2008). A number of recent studies have correlated the anisotropy in structure, mineral content and composition of cuticle from different crustacean species with evolutionary adaptations to different habitats and defence strategies that impose different mechanical requirements (Boßelmann et al, 2007;Neues et al, 2007;Hild et al, 2009). However, in contrast to other mineralized biological materials like bone (Gupta et al, 2006) little is known about the influence of the local structure and mineralization differences on mechanical properties like stiffness and hardness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Correlation of structure, composition and local mechanical properties in the dorsal carapace of the edible crab Cancer pagurus

Fabritius¹,

Karsten²,

Balasundaram³

et al. 2012

Zeitschrift Für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials

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Abstract. The exoskeleton of crustaceans is formed by the cuticle, a chitin-protein-based nano-composite with hierarchical organization over at least eight levels. On the molecular level, it consists of chitin associated with proteins forming fibres, which are organized in the form of twisted plywood. On the higher levels, the twisted plywood organization is modified and forms skeletal elements with elaborate functions. The load-bearing parts of crustacean cuticle are reinforced with both crystalline and amorphous biominerals. During evolution, all parts of the exoskeleton were optimized to fulfill different functions according to different ecophysiological strains faced by the animals. This is achieved by modifications in microstructure and chemical composition. In order to understand the relationship between structure, composition, mechanical properties and function we structurally characterized cuticle from the dorsal carapace of the edible crab Cancer pagurus using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The local chemical composition was investigated using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and confocal m-Raman spectroscopy. Nanoindentation tests were performed to study the resulting local mechanical properties. The results show local differences in structure on several levels of the structural hierarchy in combination with a very heterogeneous mineralization. The distal exocuticle is mineralized with calcite, followed by a layer containing a magnesium, phosphate and carbonate rich phase and ACC in the proximal part. The endocuticle contains magnesian calcite and ACC in special regions below the exocuticle. Structure and mineral phase are reflected in the local stiffness and hardness of the respective cuticle regions. The heterogeneity of structural organization and mechanical properties suggests remarkable consequences for the mechanical behaviour of the bulk material.

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mentioning

confidence: 57%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation of structure, composition and local mechanical properties in the dorsal carapace of the edible crab Cancer pagurus

Fabritius¹,

Karsten²,

Balasundaram³

et al. 2012

Zeitschrift Für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials

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“…It revealed that calcite occurs in the apical region only, while the proximal region of the cuticle is mineralized by ACC, also suggesting preferential resorption of ACC (Hild et al, 2008(Hild et al, , 2009). However, direct evidence for changes in the ACC/calcite distribution during the moulting cycle of crustaceans is lacking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The amorphous structure allows a quick dissolution of the deposits since ACC is about 10 times more soluble than calcite (Brecevic and Nielson, 1989). Recent studies on the cuticle of a number of crustaceans has shown that depending on species the cuticle consists of varying amounts of amorphous calcium carbonate, calcite and amorphous calcium phosphate (Al-Sawalmih et al, 2009;Becker et al, 2005;Boßelmann et al, 2007;Neues et al, 2007;Hild et al, 2009;Shechter et al, 2008). This suggests the possibility that ACC is preferentially resorbed from the cuticle over calcite as a result of its high solubility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate distribution in the tergite cuticle of moulting Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea)

Neues

Hild

Epple

et al. 2011

Journal of Structural Biology

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a b s t r a c tThe main mineral components of the isopod cuticle consists of crystalline magnesium calcite and amorphous calcium carbonate. During moulting isopods moult first the posterior and then the anterior half of the body. In terrestrial species calcium carbonate is subject to resorption, storage and recycling in order to retain significant fractions of the mineral during the moulting cycle. We used synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, elemental analysis and Raman spectroscopy to quantify the ACC/calcite ratio, the mineral phase distribution and the composition within the anterior and posterior tergite cuticle during eight different stages of the moulting cycle of Porcellio scaber. The results show that most of the amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is resorbed from the cuticle, whereas calcite remains in the old cuticle and is shed during moulting. During premoult resorption of ACC from the posterior cuticle is accompanied by an increase within the anterior tergites, and mineralization of the new posterior cuticle by resorption of mineral from the anterior cuticle. This suggests that one reason for using ACC in cuticle mineralization is to facilitate resorption and recycling of cuticular calcium carbonate. Furthermore we show that ACC precedes the formation of calcite in distal layers of the tergite cuticle.

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“…cuticle. In T. europaeus there is a sharp border between the layer containing calcite corresponding to the distal exocuticle and the one containing ACC corresponding to the proximal exocuticle and the endocuticle , whereas in T. albus, calcite is restricted to roughly the distal half of the exocuticle that contains ACC as well, and ACC occurs in the remaining proximal region of the exocuticle and in the endocuticle (Hild et al, 2009). It appears that the distribution of calcite within the distal and ACC within proximal layers is of mechanical significance.…”

Section: Distribution Of Calcite and Amorphous Calcium Carbonate In Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calcite distribution and orientation in the tergite exocuticle of the isopods Porcellio scaber and Armadillidium vulgare (Oniscidea, Crustacea)

Seidl¹,

Reisecker²,

Hild³

et al. 2012

Zeitschrift Für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials

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Abstract. The crustacean cuticle is a bio-composite consisting of hierarchically organized chitin-protein fibres, reinforced with calcite, amorphous calcium carbonate and phosphates. Comparative studies revealed that the structure and composition of tergite cuticle of terrestrial isopods is adapted to the habitat of the animals, and to their behavioural patterns to avoid predation. In this contribution we use FE-SEM, polarized SCm-RSI and EBSD to investigate micro-and nano-patterns of mineral phase distribution and crystal orientation within the tergite cuticle of the two terrestrial isopod species Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio scaber. The results show that the proximal regions of the exocuticle contain both calcite and ACC, with ACC located within the pore canals. Calcite forms hierarchically organised mesocrystalline aggregates of similar crystallographic orientation. Surprisingly, c-axis orientation preference is horizontal in regard to the local cuticle surface for both species, in contrast to mollusc and brachiopod shell structures in which the c-axis is always perpendicular to the shell surface. The overall sharpness of calcite crystal orientation is weak compared to that of mollusc shells. However, there are considerable differences in texture sharpness between the two isopod species. In the thick cuticle of the slow-walking A. vulgare calcite is more randomly oriented resulting in more isotropic mechanical properties of the cuticle. In contrast, the rather thin and more flexible cuticle of the fast-running P. scaber texture sharpness is stronger with a preference of c-axis orientation being parallel to the bilateral symmetry-plane of the animal, leading to more anisotropic mechanical properties of the cuticle. These differences may represent adaptations to different external and/or internal mechanical loads the cuticle has to resist during predatory attempts.

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Ultrastructure and mineral distribution in the tergal cuticle of the terrestrial isopod Titanethes albus. Adaptations to a karst cave biotope

Cited by 56 publications

References 48 publications

Correlation of structure, composition and local mechanical properties in the dorsal carapace of the edible crab Cancer pagurus

Correlation of structure, composition and local mechanical properties in the dorsal carapace of the edible crab Cancer pagurus

Amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate distribution in the tergite cuticle of moulting Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea)

Calcite distribution and orientation in the tergite exocuticle of the isopods Porcellio scaber and Armadillidium vulgare (Oniscidea, Crustacea)

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