| sialic acids in gastropods. | the occurrence of n-acetylneuraminic acid and n-glycolylneuraminic acid residues in preparations of the slug arion lusitanicus (gastropoda) was determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis of the proteins followed by lectin blots stained with the sialic acid specific lectin from maackia amurensis, by the sensitivity of this binding to sialidase from clostridium perfringens, by specific fluorescent labelling of sialic acids with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene, by the determination ... | 2001 | 11707275 |
| evaluation of an alternative mucosal irritation test using slugs. | the objective of this study was to evaluate an alternative mucosal irritation test using the slug arion lusitanicus as test organism. the effect of 28 reference substances on the mucosal tissue of the slugs was determined by the amount of mucus produced, the reduction in body weight, and the release of proteins from the body wall. the data of the mucosal irritation test were compared with the available in vivo draize scores for eye irritation (mmas). the amount of mucus produced and the reductio ... | 2002 | 12140180 |
| neutral n-glycans of the gastropod arion lusitanicus. | the neutral n-glycan structures of arion lusitanicus (gastropod) skin, viscera and egg glycoproteins were examined after proteolytic digestion, release of the glycans from the peptides, fluorescent labelling with 2-aminopyridine and fractionation by charge, size and hydrophobicity to obtain pure glycan structures. the positions and linkages of the sugars in the glycan were analysed by two dimensional hplc (size and hydrophobicity) and maldi-tof mass spectrometry before and after digestion with s ... | 2004 | 15030485 |
| slug species- and population-specific effects on the end points of the slug mucosal irritation test. | the slug mucosal irritation test seems to be a promising method for the evaluation of the local tolerance of products applied to the mucosa. furthermore, the slug mucosal irritation test is a reliable method to classify chemicals accurately into three eye irritation categories based on the mucus production and the score for tissue damage. until now the slug arion lusitanicus collected in belgium was always used as test organism. the present study investigated the effects of the slug population a ... | 2006 | 16226427 |
| a tumor-cell-agglutinating lectin in snail mucus from arion lusitanicus (mab) and arion empiricorum (fér.). | a lectin which agglutinates zajdela hepatoma cells; rat red cells and lymphocytes, but no normal rat liver cells, was detected in the mucus, yielded by simple saline extraction, of the two snail species arion empiricorum (fér.) and arion lusitanicus (mab). the agglutination spectrum involves also human erythrocytes and red cells of several animal species. | 1977 | 16296164 |
| ingestion and excretion of two transgenic bt corn varieties by slugs. | the release of transgenic bacillus thuringiensis (bt) corn expressing various cry endotoxins has raised concern that these endotoxins are disseminated in the food web and may adversely affect non-target beneficial organisms, such as predators and organisms of the decomposer food web. we therefore investigated in a laboratory study, whether the cry1ab and cry3bb1 protein from bt corn could potentially be transferred to such organisms by measuring the cry protein content in the two common agricult ... | 2009 | 18763046 |
| the occurrence of angiostrongylus vasorum in terrestrial slugs from forests and parks in the copenhagen area, denmark. | a total of 298 slugs belonging to four species, arion lusitanicus, a. ater, a. ater rufus and limax maximus, were collected from six different localities within a radius of 30 km from copenhagen and examined for naturally acquired angiostrongylus vasorum infection. overall, 28 slugs (9%) were infected, but the prevalence varied among the studied localities: rude forest (26%), west amager forest (18%), jaegersborg forest and deer park (8%), frederiksberg park (4%), assistens cemetery park (0%) an ... | 2009 | 19460193 |
| the effect of temperature and host age on the infectivity and development of angiostrongylus vasorum in the slug arion lusitanicus. | experimental infection with angiostrongylus vasorum was conducted in iberian slugs arion lusitanicus. initially, different size/age groups of juvenile slugs (small, <0.5 g and medium, 0.5-1 g) were exposed to freshly isolated first-stage parasitic larvae (l1) of a. vasorum. the slugs were subsequently incubated at 5, 10 and 15 degrees c for 6 weeks. larval development within the slugs differed significantly with temperature. at 15 degrees c, all larvae developed into the third larval stage (l3), ... | 2010 | 20369254 |
| determination of 3-o- and 4-o-methylated monosaccharide constituents in snail glycans. | the n- and o-glycans of arianta arbustorum, achatina fulica, arion lusitanicus and planorbarius corneus were analysed for their monosaccharide pattern by reversed-phase hplc after labelling with 2-aminobenzoic acid or 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. glucosamine, galactosamine, mannose, galactose, glucose, fucose and xylose were identified. furthermore, three different methylated sugars were detected: 3-o-methyl-mannose and 3-o-methyl-galactose wer ... | 2010 | 20400065 |
| autochtonous infection of dogs and slugs with angiostrongylus vasorum in hungary. | on the course of a helminthological survey of the dogs of baranya county, hungary angiostrongylus vasorum infection was detected in two asymptomatic dogs. identification of the parasite was based on morphology of the first-stage larvae (l1) isolated from droppings, and successful experimental infection with first stage larvae to laboratory reared discus rotundatus and lissachatina fulica snails, in order to exclude species of the family filaroididae that have similar larvae to a. vasorum. while ... | 2010 | 20947255 |
| mucosal irritation potential of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules. | polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules have recently gained interest as carriers for drug delivery. when envisioning mucosal administration, one is focused with potential concerns such as tissue irritation and tissue damage, induced by the carrier itself. in this paper we demonstrate the use of a slug-based (arion lusitanicus) assay to evaluate the mucosal irritation potential of different types of polyelectrolytes, their complexes and multilayer capsules. this assay allows to assess in a simple ye ... | 2010 | 21126762 |
| herbivore resistance of invasive fallopia species and their hybrids. | hybridization has been proposed as a mechanism by which exotic plants can increase their invasiveness. by generating novel recombinants, hybridization may result in phenotypes that are better adapted to the new environment than their parental species. we experimentally assessed the resistance of five exotic fallopia taxa, f. japonica var. japonica, f. sachalinensis and f. baldschuanica, the two hybrids f. × bohemica and f. × conollyana, and the common european plants rumex obtusifolius and tarax ... | 2011 | 21656300 |
| gastropod-derived haemocyte extracellular traps entrap metastrongyloid larval stages of angiostrongylus vasorum, aelurostrongylus abstrusus and troglostrongylus brevior. | phagocyte-derived extracellular traps (ets) were recently demonstrated mainly in vertebrate hosts as an important effector mechanism against invading parasites. in the present study we aimed to characterize gastropod-derived invertebrate extracellular phagocyte trap (inept) formation in response to larval stages of important canine and feline metastrongyloid lungworms. gastropod haemocytes were isolated from the slug species arion lusitanicus and limax maximus, and the snail achatina fulica, and ... | 2017 | 28143510 |
| intermediate and paratenic hosts in the life cycle of aelurostrongylus abstrusus in natural environment. | the cat lungworm aelurostrongylus abstrusus affects the domestic cats and other felids all over the world. feline aelurostrongylosis is of importance in clinical feline medicine. snails and slugs are the intermediate hosts, but the cat is probably infected by eating paratenic hosts, e.g., rodents, birds, amphibians and reptiles. herein we present the first finding of a. abstrusus in a naturally infected invasive synantropic slugs arion lusitanicus (intermediate host) and wild living rodents apod ... | 2013 | 24094777 |
| angiostoma norvegicum n. sp. (nematoda: angiostomatidae) a parasite of arionid slugs in norway. | angiostoma norvegicum n. sp. (angiostomatidae) is described from the oesophagus, crop and the buccal mass of five species of slugs of the family arionidae, arion vulgaris (moquin-tandon), arion ater (l.), arion fasciatus (nilsson), arion fuscus (müller) and arion rufus/arion ater hybrid), collected throughout norway. angiostoma norvegicum n. sp. was found parasitising arionids at seven of the 30 sample sites examined (23.3%), and 9.9% of all arion spp. were infected with this nematode. the new s ... | 2017 | 28062989 |
| diversity of enterobacteria including β-lactamase producing isolates associated with the spanish slug (arion vulgaris). | the aim of this study was to determine diversity in members of the family enterobacteriaceae including the beta-lactamase producing isolates associated with the spanish slug (arion vulgaris). 81 isolates, each representing a distinct colonial morphotype, were obtained from fecal samples of spanish slugs and analyzed. genetically heterogeneous or similar groups were assessed among the isolates by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (eric)-pcr and further characterized by 16s rdna sequ ... | 2014 | 24534696 |
| invasive slug populations (arion vulgaris) as potential vectors for clostridium botulinum. | norwegian meadows, including those for silage production, are recently found heavily invaded by the slug arion vulgaris in exposed areas. as a consequence, large numbers of slugs might contaminate grass silage and cause a possible threat to animal feed quality and safety. it is well known that silage contaminated by mammalian or avian carcasses can lead to severe outbreaks of botulism among livestock. invertebrates, especially fly-larvae (diptera), are considered important in the transfer of clo ... | 2014 | 25277214 |
| invading slugs (arion vulgaris) can be vectors for listeria monocytogenes. | listeriosis is a frequent silage-associated disease in ruminants. the slugs arion vulgaris are invaders in gardens, vegetable crops and meadows for silage production. field and laboratory studies were conducted to clarify whether slugs could host listeria monocytogenes and thereby constitute a threat to animal feed safety. | 2015 | 25580873 |
| the role of glucosinolates and the jasmonic acid pathway in resistance of arabidopsis thaliana against molluscan herbivores. | although slugs and snails play important roles in terrestrial ecosystems and cause considerable damage on a variety of crop plants, knowledge about the mechanisms of plant immunity to molluscs is limited. we found slugs to be natural herbivores of arabidopsis thaliana and therefore investigated possible resistance mechanisms of this species against several molluscan herbivores. treating wounded leaves with the mucus residue ('slime trail') of the spanish slug arion lusitanicus increased wound-in ... | 2014 | 24313595 |
| phylogeographic past and invasive presence of arion pest slugs in europe. | arion vulgaris (syn. a. lusitanicus) is the most destructive pest slug in europe. the species has been regarded a classic case of an ongoing biological invasion with negative economic and ecological impact in many european countries, but this status has recently been contested. in this study, we assessed mitochondrial and autosomal genetic diversity in populations of a. vulgaris across the entire distribution range in order to characterize its evolutionary history. mitochondrial diversity in a. ... | 2016 | 27664400 |
| cold tolerance and freeze-induced glucose accumulation in three terrestrial slugs. | cold tolerance and metabolic responses to freezing of three slug species common in scandinavia (arion ater, arion rufus and arion lusitanicus) are reported. autumn collected slugs were cold acclimated in the laboratory and subjected to freezing conditions simulating likely winter temperatures in their habitat. slugs spontaneously froze at about -4 °c when cooled under dry conditions, but freezing of body fluids was readily induced at -1 °c when in contact with external ice crystals. all three sp ... | 2012 | 22248916 |
| the genetic dynamics of the rapid and recent colonization of denmark by arion lusitanicus (mollusca, pulmonata, arionidae). | we describe the genetic dynamics of the recent establishment of the 'iberian slug', arion lusitanicus j. mabille 1868, in denmark and compare its population structure to two other members of the 'large arion complex', arion ater ater, native to denmark, and arion ater rufus, introduced into denmark in the early 1900s. assaying allozyme polymorphism at seven enzyme loci, we found that: (1) none of the three taxa reproduce primarily by self-fertilization. differences among loci and colonies in the ... | 2011 | 21523466 |
| transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of arion vulgaris--proteins for probably successful survival strategies? | the spanish slug, arion vulgaris, is considered one of the hundred most invasive species in central europe. the immense and very successful adaptation and spreading of a. vulgaris suggest that it developed highly effective mechanisms to deal with infections and natural predators. current transcriptomic and proteomic studies on gastropods have been restricted mainly to marine and freshwater gastropods. no transcriptomic or proteomic study on a. vulgaris has been carried out so far, and in the cur ... | 2016 | 26986963 |
| mechanisms driving diversity-productivity relationships differ between exotic and native communities and are affected by gastropod herbivory. | biodiversity experiments have shown that productivity usually increases with plant species richness. however, most of those studies disregarded the importance of trophic interactions to the diversity-productivity relationship, and focused on the loss of native species while ignoring invasions by exotic species. yet, as functional complementarity and the impact of plant antagonists are likely to differ between native and exotic communities, the diversity-productivity relationship may change when ... | 2016 | 26235964 |
| how can two soft bodied animals be precisely connected? a miniature quick-connect system in the slugs, arion lusitanicus and arion rufus. | among stylommatophoran gastropods, many species have simplified or reduced their copulatory organs, for example, within the arionidae, many species lack penes. in this study, i ask two questions 1) how are soft bodied slugs which do not possess a penis connected during copulation? and 2) is there a mechanical isolating barrier between related sympatric slug species? observations on the mating behavior and the functional morphology of the distal genital apparatus were made in a mixed population o ... | 2015 | 25532726 |
| misperceived invasion: the lusitanian slug (arion lusitanicus auct. non-mabille or arion vulgaris moquin-tandon 1855) is native to central europe. | the lusitanian slug, presumed to be native to south-west europe, was ranked among the 100 worst invading species in central europe. however, from the very beginning of its recognition in the presumed invasion area, there was little evidence that the species was actually anthropogenically introduced. we investigated the invasive status of the species by comparing specific predictions on the population genetic structure in the invasion area with the pattern actually found. in a dna-taxonomy approa ... | 2014 | 25067951 |
| herbivory of an invasive slug in a model grassland community can be affected by earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi. | invasion of non-native species is among the top threats for the biodiversity and functioning of native and agricultural ecosystems worldwide. we investigated whether the herbivory of the slug arion vulgaris (formerly arion lusitanicus; gastropoda), that is listed among the 100 worst alien species in europe, is affected by soil organisms commonly present in terrestrial ecosystems (i.e. earthworms-annelida: lumbricidae and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-amf, glomerales). we hypothesized that slug he ... | 2017 | 26069356 |
| spatiotemporal analysis of predation by carabid beetles (carabidae) on nematode infected and uninfected slugs in the field. | the dynamics of predation on parasites within prey has received relatively little attention despite the profound effects this is likely to have on both prey and parasite numbers and hence on biological control programmes where parasites are employed. the nematode phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a commercially available biological agent against slugs. predation on these slugs may, at the same time, result in intraguild predation on slug-parasitic nematodes. this study describes, for the first ti ... | 2013 | 24349202 |
| gastropod seed dispersal: an invasive slug destroys far more seeds in its gut than native gastropods. | seed dispersal is one of the most important mechanisms shaping biodiversity, and animals are one of the key dispersal vectors. animal seed dispersal can directly or indirectly be altered by invasive organisms through the establishment of new or the disruption of existing seed dispersal interactions. so far it is known for a few gastropod species that they ingest and defecate viable plant seeds and consequently act as seed dispersers, referred to as gastropodochory. in a multi-species experiment, ... | 2013 | 24086477 |
| balancing of specific nutrients and subsequent growth and body composition in the slug arion lusitanicus. | feeding generalists typically occupy broad ecological niches and so are potentially pre-adapted to a range of novel food objects. in northern europe, the slug arion lusitanicus has spread rapidly as an invasive species and a serious horticultural and agricultural pest. we used nutritional geometry to analyze nutrient balancing capabilities and consequences for performance in a. lusitanicus when provided with one of three nutritionally fixed diets or when given dietary choice. the slugs over-inge ... | 2013 | 24018333 |
| herbivory of an invasive slug is affected by earthworms and the composition of plant communities. | biodiversity loss and species invasions are among the most important human-induced global changes. moreover, these two processes are interlinked as ecosystem invasibility is considered to increase with decreasing biodiversity. in temperate grasslands, earthworms serve as important ecosystem engineers making up the majority of soil faunal biomass. herbivore behaviour has been shown to be affected by earthworms, however it is unclear whether these effects differ with the composition of plant commu ... | 2013 | 23668239 |
| predation by carabid beetles on the invasive slug arion vulgaris in an agricultural semi-field experiment. | arion vulgaris moquin-tandon 1855 is one of the most important invasive species in europe, affecting both biodiversity and agriculture. the species is spreading in many parts of europe, inflicting severe damage to horticultural plants and cultivated crops partly due to a lack of satisfactory and effective management solutions. molluscicides have traditionally been used to manage slug densities, although the effects are variable and some have severe side-effects on other biota. thus, there is a n ... | 2013 | 23148984 |
| diversity protects plant communities against generalist molluscan herbivores. | wildflower strips are used to increase natural enemies of crop pests and to conserve insect diversity on farmland. mollusks, especially slugs, can affect the vegetation development in these strips considerably. although recent theoretical work suggests that more diverse plant communities will exhibit greater resistance against herbivore pressure, empirical studies are scarce. we conducted a semi-natural experiment in wildflower strips, manipulating trophic structure (reduction in herbivorous mol ... | 2012 | 23145332 |
| jack-of-all-trades: phenotypic plasticity facilitates the invasion of an alien slug species. | invasive alien species might benefit from phenotypic plasticity by being able to (i) maintain fitness in stressful environments ('robust'), (ii) increase fitness in favourable environments ('opportunistic'), or (iii) combine both abilities ('robust and opportunistic'). here, we applied this framework, for the first time, to an animal, the invasive slug, arion lusitanicus, and tested (i) whether it has a more adaptive phenotypic plasticity compared with a congeneric native slug, arion fuscus, and ... | 2012 | 23015630 |
| o-glycosylation of snails. | the glycosylation abilities of snails deserve attention, because snail species serve as intermediate hosts in the developmental cycles of some human and cattle parasites. in analogy to many other host-pathogen relations, the glycosylation of snail proteins may likewise contribute to these host-parasite interactions. here we present an overview on the o-glycan structures of 8 different snails (land and water snails, with or without shell): arion lusitanicus, achatina fulica, biomphalaria glabrata ... | 2012 | 22581130 |
| drought tolerance in eggs and juveniles of the iberian slug, arion lusitanicus. | the spread of invasive species is an increasing problem world wide. the invasive slug arion lusitanicus has spread to most parts of europe, where it often is considered as a serious pest. there is a need for better knowledge of its ecophysiology to be able to predict the effect of climatic factors, such as temperature and humidity on the population dynamics and abundance. the aim of the present study was to assemble data on the water balance and drought tolerance of eggs and juveniles of a. lusi ... | 2011 | 21691769 |
| molecular analysis of predation by carabid beetles (carabidae) on the invasive iberian slug arion lusitanicus. | the invasive iberian slug, arion lusitanicus, is spreading through europe and poses a major threat to horticulture and agriculture. natural enemies, capable of killing a. lusitanicus, may be important to our understanding of its population dynamics in recently invaded regions. we used polymerase chain reaction (pcr) to study predation on a. lusitanicus by carabid beetles in the field. a first multiplex pcr was developed, incorporating species-specific primers, and optimised in order to amplify p ... | 2011 | 21342604 |
| low temperature survival in different life stages of the iberian slug, arion lusitanicus. | the slug arion lusitanicus mabille (gastropoda: pulmonata: arionidae) is an invasive species which has spread to most parts of europe. the area of origin is unknown, but a. lusitanicus seems to cope well with the local conditions in the countries to which it has migrated. it spreads rapidly, occurs often in high densities and has become a serious pest in most european countries. therefore there is an urgent need for better knowledge of the ecophysiology of a. lusitanicus, such as the influence o ... | 2011 | 21168402 |
| new aspects of the slug mucosal irritation assay: predicting nasal stinging, itching and burning sensations. | stinging, itching and/or burning (sib) sensations cannot be detected by animal tests or in vitro models. in the past, the slug mucosal irritation (smi) assay demonstrated a relation between an increased mucus production in slugs and an elevated incidence of sib sensations in humans. a new 1-day smi test procedure was developed focusing on the prediction of these short-term sensations. the objective of this study was to verify whether this new procedure is capable predicting mucosal tolerance of ... | 2011 | 21132841 |
| predation by beetles (carabidae, staphylinidae) on eggs and juveniles of the iberian slug arion lusitanicus in the laboratory. | arion lusitanicus has become a major pest species in western norway in the last few years. this species originates from southern europe but has been spread by humans over large parts of central and northern europe during recent decades. slugs have traditionally been controlled by the use of molluscicides; but, as these may have serious ecological side effects, biological control of slugs is highly desirable. potential biological control agents include nematodes, gastropods and arthropods. in lab ... | 2010 | 20158927 |
| distribution and genetic diversity of the terrestrial slugs arion lusitanicus mabille, 1868 and arion rufus (linnaeus, 1758) in poland based on mitochondrial dna. | the slugs arion lusitanicus and arion rufus inhabit ecologically degraded areas and are serious vegetation pests. in recent years, new localities of these species have been found in various parts of poland. here we study the morphology of 90 specimens from 9 populations of slugs. the morphology of the genital system allowed for the identification of 60 a. lusitanicus specimens from 6 populations and 30 a. rufus individuals from another 3 localities. in order to describe their genetic diversity a ... | 2009 | 19459464 |
| mucosal irritation potential of personal lubricants relates to product osmolality as detected by the slug mucosal irritation assay. | the slug mucosal irritation assay has recently been used as a sensitive measure of mucus membrane tolerance for vaginal microbicide products and carriers. in the current study, it was determined whether musosal irritation potency of personal lubricants is related to varying product osmolalities. | 2008 | 18356773 |
| is palatability of a root-hemiparasitic plant influenced by its host species? | palatability of parasitic plants may be influenced by their host species, because the parasites take up nutrients and secondary compounds from the hosts. if parasitic plants acquired the full spectrum of secondary compounds from their host, one would expect a correlation between host and parasite palatability. we examined the palatability of leaves of the root-hemiparasite melampyrum arvense grown with different host plants and the palatability of these host plants for two generalist herbivores, ... | 2005 | 16028093 |
| mannosomes: a molluscan intracellular tubular membrane system related to heavy metal stress? | amongst animals, several hydrogen peroxide-generating oxidases are apparently restricted to molluscs. one of these, d-mannitol oxidase, is concentrated in the alimentary system, where it is associated with its own subcellular membrane system of unique tubular morphology, most likely representing a structural modification of the er. these structures can be purified by subcellular fractionation and have been termed 'mannosomes'. little is known about the functions of mannitol oxidase or of mannoso ... | 2002 | 11912051 |
| diversification of cadmium-binding proteins due to different levels of contamination in arion lusitanicus. | individuals of arion lusitanicus were collected in the former mining area of braubach (federal republic of germany) which is highly polluted by various metals. the animals were transferred to the laboratory and fed contaminated litter from their original habitat. groups of animals from a quarry near heidelberg were reared in the laboratory and fed diets of different cadmium concentrations. slugs fed uncontaminated food were used as controls. the concentration of cadmium in the midgut gland of ca ... | 1991 | 1996905 |
| the influence of weather upon the activity of slugs. | the activity of slugs was measured by a catch per unit effort sampling system based upon night searching, and was related to the microclimatological conditions in the habitat by regression analysis. the activity of arion hortensis fér., arion subfuscus (drap.), arion lusitanicus mab., milax budapestensis (hazay), and of all slugs irrespective of species, was found to be best related to temperature and vapour pressure deficit. the relevance of these results to the application of effective methods ... | 1972 | 28313561 |
| larval trematodes (brachylaemidae) from the slugs milax sowerbii (ferussac), agriolimax reticulatus (muller) and arion lusitanicus mabille. | | 1957 | 13504859 |