title: The biochemical ecology of Biomphalaria glabrata, a snail host of Schistosoma mansoni: short chain carboxylic and amino acids as phagostimulants.
abstract: 1. A buccal mass olfactometer was used to investigate the responses of the fresh-water pulmonate snail Biomphalaria glabrata to carboxylic and amino acids. 2. The snails proved very discriminating as only 6 (14.6%) of the 41 chemical species tested were effective as phagostimulants. These are ranked as follows in order of potency:- butanoate greater than propanoate greater than D-malate greater than 2-hydroxybutanoate = L-tartrate = L-aspartate. 3. The structure-activity relationships of the active compounds, and their significance to the ecology and control of the snails are discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kowalczyk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Somasundaram
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000502:physiology*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002264:Carboxylic Acids