#nemertide

[sciencenewsforstudents]

Bootlace worms boast spooky-stretchy bodies. Their secret: They also secrete a family of toxins new to science. These poisons might one day inspire novel ways to control noxious pests, such as cockroaches.

Tests first identified the toxins in the mucus coating one bootlace species. It holds the record as the world’s longest animal, notes Ulf Göransson. At Uppsala University in Sweden, he studies medical products that come from natural sources. This champion marine worm, Lineus longissimus, can stretch up to 50 meters (164 feet). That’s longer than an Olympic-size pool. The worm coats itself in mucus that smells a bit like iron or sewage. This goo holds small toxic proteins that have now been dubbed nemertides. Those poisons also have shown up in 16 other species of bootlace worms.

Göransson and his colleagues shared their discovery March 22, 2018 in Scientific Reports.

These nemertides poison by attacking some of the tiny channels in cell walls. These channels control the flux — flow rate — of sodium moving in and out of a cell. Much vital cell business depends on the right flux through these sodium channels, as they’re called. Among that important business: cell-to-cell communication.

The researchers injected small amounts of one nemertide into invasive green crabs (Carcinus maenas). The toxin permanently paralyzed or killed these animals.

“This study certainly has a lot of novelty to it, since marine worms are a tremendously neglected area of venom research,” says Bryan Grieg Fry. He works at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. There, he explores how animal poisons appear to have evolved.

Unlike earthworms, the 1,300 or so species of bootlace — or ribbon — worms have no segments. Some scientists give these animals their own branch, call Nemertea, on the animal family tree. Bootlace worms have a brain but no lungs. Like many other slender marine creatures, these worms breathe directly through the skin. They predators that dine on crustaceans, mollusks and other worms.

One has to marvel at how they can expand and contract their bodies. A 10-meter [33 foot] L. longissimus “can be held in your hand as a slimy heap,” notes study coauthor Malin Strand. She’s a marine biologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. She estimates these worms could live 10 years “or maybe much longer.”

How bootlace worms use their toxins isn’t clear. The stringy creatures aren’t easy to keep in captivity for study, Strand says. She has some worms in her lab that have chosen to eat no more than once in three to four years.

Göransson proposes that their toxic mucus might make a useful defense. He has seen videos with the worms stretched upon the seafloor. “If you’re a crab or a fish, it must be tempting to take a nip,” he says. However, there’s little sign of anything pestering these worms.

He once tried some bare-handed contact with a small lab specimen. He didn’t feel much of anything. He’s been warned, though, about “tingling.” Just in case, Göransson now wears gloves.

[montereybayaquarium]

*WHACK!* The giant kelp holdfast explodes like a piñata, revealing a tentacular treasure trove full of wormy wonders. Pasta worms, peanut worms, candy worms—and even a ribbon worm to tie them all together!

Four photos, three phyla of "worms!" The two on the left are both annelid worms, phylum Annelida. The top right is a peanut worm, phylum Sipuncula. The lower right is a nemertid worm, phylum Nemertea. They're all in the group "worms," but these cool creatures are as different from each other as bees and sea stars.

[damultifandomboat-blog]

Toxic substances from the globe's lengthiest pet can eliminate roaches

Toxic substances

Bootlace worms with spooky-stretchy bodies secrete a family of toxic substances new to researchers. These substances could influence novel methods strike insects such as roaches.

Examinations initially determined the toxic substances in mucous layer a bootlace varieties that holds the record as the globe's lengthiest animal, states pharmacognosist Ulf Göransson of Uppsala University in Sweden. This champ aquatic worm (Lineus longissimus) can stretch as much as 55 meters, longer than an Olympic-sized pool, and also coats itself in mucous smelling a little bit like iron or sewer. That goo holds small poisonous healthy proteins, currently dubbed nemertides, that are additionally located in 16 various other bootlace worm species, Göransson as well as associates create March 22 in Scientific Reports.

The newly defined nemertides strike tiny channels in cell walls that regulate the quantity of salt moving in and out of the cell. Much important cell business, such as interactions between nerves, relies on the best change with these voltage-gated sodium channels, as they're called. Injections of small amounts of one of these nemertides permanently paralyzed or eliminated invasive eco-friendly crabs (Carcinus maenas) as well as young cockroaches (Blattella germanica).

" This research absolutely has a lot of uniqueness to it, because marine worms are a tremendously overlooked location of poison research study," says Bryan Grieg Fry at the University of Queensland in Australia, where he checks out the development of animal poisonous substances.

Unlike earthworms, the 1,300 or two types of bootlace, or bow, worms have no segments. Some researchers offer these pets their own phylum, Nemertea. Bootlace worms have a brain but no lungs. Like lots of other slender aquatic creatures, breathe straight with the skin. The worms are carnivorous, supping on crustaceans, mollusks as well as other worms.

They're wonders of body development and also contraction. An L. longissimus "of about 10 meters can be kept in your hand as a slimed stack," says study coauthor Malin Strand, a marine biologist and also molecular systematist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. She estimates the worms can live for around 10 years "or possibly a lot longer."

Just how L. longissimus or the various other varieties in the research study utilize their toxic substances isn't clear, she says. The fibrous creatures aren't very easy to keep in captivity, Strand claims. She has some worms that have actually deigned to eat in her laboratory just once in three to 4 years.

Göransson recommends that hazardous mucous may work for protection. He has actually seen video with Nemertean worms stretched out on the seafloor. "If you're a crab or a fish, it needs to be tempting to take a nip," he says, however there's little indicator of anything troubling them.

He as soon as tried some bare-handed contact with a small laboratory specimen as well as didn't really feel much of anything, although he's been cautioned regarding "prickling" or even hands going temporarily numb. One of the nemertide toxins examined in the new paper was 100 times as reliable on salt channels in insect cells as in animal ones, the scientists found.

Still, Göransson favors to put on handwear covers.

[sciencenewsforstudents]

Bootlace worms boast spooky-stretchy bodies. Their secret: They also secrete a family of toxins new to science. These poisons might one day inspire novel ways to control noxious pests, such as cockroaches.

Tests first identified the toxins in the mucus coating one bootlace species. It holds the record as the world’s longest animal, notes Ulf Göransson. At Uppsala University in Sweden, he studies medical products that come from natural sources. This champion marine worm, Lineus longissimus, can stretch up to 50 meters (164 feet). That’s longer than an Olympic-size pool. The worm coats itself in mucus that smells a bit like iron or sewage. This goo holds small toxic proteins that have now been dubbed nemertides. Those poisons also have shown up in 16 other species of bootlace worms.

Göransson and his colleagues shared their discovery March 22 in Scientific Reports.