Smelly feet are not always a bad thing: the relationship between cyprid footprint protein and the barnacle settlement pheromone.
A critical phase in the life cycle of sessile benthic marine invertebrates is locating a suitable substratum for settlement. For barnacles, it is the lecithotrophic cypris larva that makes this plankto-benthic transition. In exploring possible substrata for settlement, the cyprid leaves behind 'footprints' of a proteinaceous secretion that reportedly functions as a temporary adhesive, and also acts as a secondary cue in larval-larval interactions at settlement. Here, we show that two polyclonal antibodies raised against peptides localized at the N- and C-terminal regions of the adult settlement cue--the settlement-inducing protein complex (SIPC)--could both detect 'temporary adhesive' indicating that the SIPC is either a component of this secretion or that they are the same protein.
Dreanno
Catherine
C
School of Marine Science and Technology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
Kirby
Richard R
RR
Clare
Anthony S
AS
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D001468:Thoracica / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*
D000906:Antibodies; D004151:Dipeptides; D010675:Pheromones; D011506:Proteins