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Skin lipid structure controls water permeability in snake molts
- Source :
- Journal of structural biology, (2013). doi:10.1016/j.jsb.2013.10.007, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Torri, C.a and Mangoni, A.b and Teta, R.b and Fattorusso, E.b and Alibardi, L.c and Fermani, S.d and Bonacini, I.d and Gazzano, M.e and Burghammer, M.f and Fabbri, D.a d and Falini, G.a d/titolo:Skin lipid structure controls water permeability in snake molts/doi:10.1016%2Fj.jsb.2013.10.007/rivista:Journal of structural biology (Print)/anno:2013/pagina_da:/pagina_a:/intervallo_pagine:/volume
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- The role of lipids in controlling water exchange is fundamentally a matter of molecular organization. In the present study we have observed that in snake molt the water permeability drastically varies among species living in different climates and habitats. The analysis of molts from four snake species: tiger snake, Notechis scutatus, gabon viper, Bitis gabonica, rattle snake, Crotalus atrox, and grass snake, Natrix natrix, revealed correlations between the molecular composition and the structural organization of the lipid-rich mesos layer with control in water exchange as a function of temperature. It was discovered, merging data from micro-diffraction and micro-spectroscopy with those from thermal, NMR and chromatographic analyses, that this control is generated from a sophisticated structural organization that changes size and phase distribution of crystalline domains of specific lipid molecules as a function of temperature. Thus, the results of this research on four snake species suggest that in snake skins different structured lipid layers have evolved and adapted to different climates. Moreover, these lipid structures can protect, "safety", the snakes from water lost even at temperatures higher than those of their usual habitat. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
- Subjects :
- VIPeR
Evolution
Water exchange
Molting
complex mixtures
Permeability
Structural Biology
Snake skin
Animals
Adaptation
Ecosystem
Skin
Crotalus atrox
biology
integumentary system
Ecology
Lipid structure
Grass snake
Notechis scutatus
Temperature
Water
Snakes
Water permeability
biology.organism_classification
Lipids
Bitis
Natrix
Skin lipid
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10958657
- Volume :
- 185
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of structural biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0043994bb8fe1b8b18ad4dce9147abef