title: Resilin-like protein in the clamp sclerites of the gill monogenean Diplozoon paradoxum Nordmann, 1832.
abstract: Resilin is a soft and elastic protein, which is found in many exoskeletal structures of arthropods. Proteins with similar chemical properties have been described for other invertebrates including monogenean fish parasites. However, for the latter taxon no clear microscopic evidence for a resilin-like protein has been shown so far. Here, we present the results of detailed microscopic analyses of the clamp sclerites (attachment devices) of the monogenean Diplozoon paradoxum. Toluidine blue, which is known to stain resilin, selectively stained the material in the clamp sclerites. In addition, when exposed to UV light, this material exhibited an intense blue autofluorescence. The emission spectrum of this autofluorescence has its maximum at 424 nm and is nearly identical to emission spectra of blue autofluorescences observed in 2 well-studied structures containing high proportions of resilin in the exoskeleton of the locust Schistocerca gregaria. The results strongly indicate that the sclerite material of D. paradoxum contains a resilin-like protein. The presence of such a protein likely enhances the attachment efficiency of the clamp sclerites and increases their lifetime.
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany. wlwong@zoologie.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Wey Lim
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: Stanislav N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Gorb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005453:Fluorescence; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014048:Tolonium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D014200:Trematoda / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; C030951:resilin