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Octopus vulgaris is a cephalopod of the Octopodidae family. It has four pairs of arms and two rows of suckers which perform many functions, including bending and elongation. For this reason the octopus was chosen as model to develop a new generation of soft-body robots. In order to explain some of the fine structures of the octopus arm in relation to its specific ability, we examined the external and internal structures of O. vulgaris arms in a frozen-hydrated state using cryo-scanning electron microscopy. The arms showed skin with a very complex design that is useful to elongation, and a pore pattern distribution on their surface which is functional to cutaneous oxygen uptake. The analysis of freeze-fractured frozen-hydrated arm samples allowed us to describe the developmental differences in the relative proportion of the areas of axial nerve cord, intrinsic and extrinsic musculature, in relation to the growth of the arms and of the increase in functional capability. In the suckers, we analyzed the shedding mechanisms in the outer part of the infundibulum and described the outer and inner characteristics of the denticles, showing in detail their pore system, which is fundamental for their ability to explore the environment. These results are discussed by considering their possible application in the design of new octopus-like artefacts, which will be able to take advantage of some of these ultrastructure characteristics and achieve advanced bioinspired functionalities.

Soluble low-molecular-mass protein isoforms were purified from chemosensory organs (antennae, tarsi and labrum) of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. Five genes encoding proteins of this group were amplified by PCR from cDNAs of tarsi and sequenced. Their expression products are polypeptide chains of 109 amino acids showing 40-50% sequence identity with putative olfactory proteins from Drosophila melanogaster and Cactoblastis cactorum. Direct structural investigation on isoforms purified from chemosensory organs revealed the presence in the expression products of two of the genes cloned. Two additional protein isoforms were detected and their molecular structure exhaustively characterized. MS analysis of all isoforms demonstrated that the four cysteine residues conserved in the polypeptide chain were involved in disulfide bridges (Cys29-Cys38 and Cys57-Cys60) and indicated the absence of any additional post-translational modifications. Immunocytochemistry experiments, performed with rabbit antiserum raised against the protein isoform mixture, showed selective labelling of the outer lymph in contact sensilla of tarsi, maxillary palps and antennae. Other types of sensilla were not labelled, nor were the cuticle and dendrites of the sensory cells. No binding of radioactively labelled glucose or bicarbonate was detected, in disagreement with the hypothesis that this class of proteins is involved in the CO2-sensing cascade. Our experimental data suggest that the proteins described here could be involved in contact chemoreception in Orthoptera.

Objectives: Transplantation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is a promising approach for revascularization of tissue. We have used a natural and biocompatible biopolymer, fibrin, to induce cell population growth, differentiation and functional activity of EPCs. Materials and methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured for 1 week to obtain early EPCs. Fibrin was characterized for stiffness and capability to sustain cell population expansion at different fibrinogen–thrombin ratios. Viability, differentiation and angiogenic properties of EPCs were evaluated and compared to those of EPCs grown on fibronectin. Results: Fibrin had a nanometric fibrous structure forming a porous network. Fibrinogen concentration significantly influenced fibrin stiffness and cell growth: 9 mg ⁄ ml fibrinogen and 25 U ⁄ ml thrombin was the best ratio for enhanced cell viability. Moreover, cell viability was significantly higher on fibrin compared to being on fibronectin. Even though no significant difference was observed in expression of endothelial markers, culture on fibrin elicited marked induction of stem cell markers OCT 3 ⁄ 4 and NANOG. In vitro angiogenesis assay on Matrigel showed that EPCs grown on fibrin retain angiogenetic capability as EPCs grown on fibronectin, but significantly better release of cytokines involved in cell recruitment was produced by EPC grown on fibrin. Conclusion: Fibrin is a suitable matrix for EPC growth, differentiation and angiogenesis capability, suggesting that fibrin gel may be very useful for regenerative medicine.