Identification of β integrin‐like‐ and fibronectin‐like proteins in the bivalve mollusk Mytilus trossulus

In this study, we first determined the presence of the β integrin‐like protein and its presumptive ligand, fibronectin‐like protein, during development and in some adult tissues of the bivalve mollusc Mytilus trossulus. We found that β integrin‐like protein expression correlated with the development and differentiation of the digestive system in larvae. Besides the presence of β integrin‐like protein in the digestive epithelial larval cells, this protein was detected in the hemocytes and some adult tissues of M. trossulus. The fibronectin‐like protein was detected firstly at the blastula stage and later, the FN‐LP‐immunoreactive cells were scattered in the trochophore larvae. The fibronectin‐like protein was not expressed in the β integrin‐positive cells of either the veliger stage larvae or the adult mussel tissues and the primary hemocyte cell culture. Despite the β integrin‐ and fibronectin‐like proteins being expressed in different cell types of mussel larvae, we do not exclude the possibility of direct interaction between these two proteins during M. trossulus development or in adult tissues.

The main result of our study is the discovery of the fact that β integrin‐like protein expression correlates with the development and differentiation of the digestive system in mollusk larvae. Despite the β integrin‐ and fibronectin‐like proteins were expressed in different cell types of mussel larvae, we do not exclude the possibility of direct...

Source: Development, Growth and Differentiation - June 1, 2015 Category: Research Authors: Vyacheslav A. Dyachuk, Maria A. Maiorova, Nelly A. Odintsova Tags: Original Article Source Type: research