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Current Advances in Echinoderm Research
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Current Advances in Echinoderm Research

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 12991

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Muyan Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Interests: molecular physiology; echinoderm; hypometabolism; aestivation; thermal stress; hypoxia; neurophysiology; sensory system; osmoregulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xiutang Yuan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
Interests: sea cucumber; shellfish; ocean acidification and warming; environmental factors; human impacts; environmental pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Echinoderms are a non-chordate deuterostome “bridging” the evolutionary gap between protostome and chordate. Echinoderms are a key component in marine ecosystems and an important part of the ocean food chain, playing numerous ecological roles. They are well known for the unusual regenerative capacity of their adult organs, disparity of body plans, variable collagen tissue and phylogenetic position. In addition to their high ecological and evolutionary significance, some echinoderms also have great economic and medical value. However, despite all the research undertaken so far, much still remains to be investigated about these animals. A large variety of classical and novel research methodologies can be used to obtain new advances in our understanding of echinoderms and their relationships with the environment, including the effects caused by climate changes and human activities on echinoderm communities. Microscopy, molecular biology, chemical, bioinformatic and biochemical studies can provide valuable new knowledge about these animals. This Special Issue aims to collect articles providing new and relevant information on various subjects regarding echinoderms, including ecology, morphology, physiology, biodiversity, pathology, evolution, reproduction, development, immunology and others such as aquaculture.

Prof. Dr. Muyan Chen
Prof. Dr. Xiutang Yuan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • echinoderms
  • sea cucumbers
  • starfish
  • brittle stars
  • sea urchins

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4188 KiB  
Article
Feeding Behavior, Gut Microbiota, and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Individual Growth Differences in the Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius
by Qi Ye, Chuang Gao, Haoran Xiao, Shuchao Ruan, Yongjie Wang, Xiaonan Li, Yaqing Chang, Chong Zhao, Heng Wang, Bing Han and Jun Ding
Biology 2024, 13(9), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13090705 - 7 Sep 2024
Viewed by 903
Abstract
Growth differentiation among farmed sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) poses a significant challenge to aquaculture, with there being a limited understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, sea urchins with varying growth rates, reared under identical conditions, were analyzed for [...] Read more.
Growth differentiation among farmed sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) poses a significant challenge to aquaculture, with there being a limited understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, sea urchins with varying growth rates, reared under identical conditions, were analyzed for feeding behavior, gut microbiota, and transcriptomes. Large-sized sea urchins demonstrated significantly higher feeding ability and longer duration than smaller ones. The dominant phyla across all size groups were Campylobacterota, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes, with Campylobacterota showing the highest abundance in small-sized sea urchins (82.6%). However, the families Lachnospiraceae and Pseudomonadaceae were significantly less prevalent in small-sized sea urchins. Transcriptome analysis identified 214, 544, and 732 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the large vs. medium, large vs. small, and medium vs. small comparisons, respectively. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses associated DEGs with key processes such as steroid biosynthesis, protein processing within the endoplasmic reticulum, and nucleotide sugar metabolism. Variations in phagosomes and signaling pathways indicated that size differences are linked to disparities in energy expenditure and stress responses. These findings provide a foundation for future investigations into the regulatory mechanisms underlying growth differences in S. intermedius and provide clues for the screening of molecular markers useful to improve sea urchin production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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16 pages, 9537 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Immune Indicators Related to Phagocytosis of Five Species of Sea Urchins under Artificial Infection with the Pathogenic Bacterium of Black Mouth Disease
by Wenzhuo Tian, Zhong Wang, Xiaofei Leng, Peng Liu, Hao Guo, Xuechun Jiang, Fanjiang Ou, Tongshan Jia, Jun Ding, Weijie Zhang and Yaqing Chang
Biology 2024, 13(7), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070495 - 3 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1154
Abstract
To screen for immune indicators closely related to disease resistance, two species of sea urchin susceptible to black mouth disease (Strongylocentrotus intermedius, S. intermedius ♀ × Heliocidaris crassispina ♂) and three species of sea urchin resistant to black mouth disease ( [...] Read more.
To screen for immune indicators closely related to disease resistance, two species of sea urchin susceptible to black mouth disease (Strongylocentrotus intermedius, S. intermedius ♀ × Heliocidaris crassispina ♂) and three species of sea urchin resistant to black mouth disease (H. crassispina, H. crassispina ♀ × S. intermedius ♂ and Mesocentrotus nudus) were artificially infected with the black mouth pathogen Vibrio echinoideorum. The phagocytosis-related immune indices of the five sea urchin species were compared at different time points post-infection. The results demonstrated that the parameters such as apoptotic rate of phagocytes, mean contribution value (MCV) of single effective phagocyte on Acid Phosphatase (ACP), Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), and Total Antioxidant Capacity (T-AOC) of the five sea urchin species first increased and then decreased after infection. The key time points were 3 h to 6 h and 48 h post-infection when the black mouth disease-resistant and susceptible sea urchins demonstrated differences. At 3 h or 6 h post-infection, the up-regulation folds in MCV of ACP, ROS and T-AOC of black mouth disease-resistant sea urchins were considerably higher than that of the susceptible sea urchins. At 6 h post-infection, the apoptosis rate and the phagocytic index (PI) of the black mouth disease-resistant sea urchins were significantly higher than those of the susceptible sea urchins (p < 0.05). At 48 h post-infection, the necrosis rate of phagocytes, MCV of ACP and MCV of ROS of the black mouth disease-resistant sea urchins were significantly lower than those of the susceptible sea urchins (p < 0.05). The apoptosis and necrosis rate of phagocytes, PI, and MCV on ACP, ROS may be used as indicators of disease resistance in sea urchins. Disease resistance standards in immune indices can be summarized as phagocytosis increases greatly in the early infection stage and decreases timely to a normal level after killing the pathogen in a short period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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18 pages, 2417 KiB  
Article
An Investigation on the Effects of Dietary Vitamin E on Juvenile Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius): Growth, Intestinal Microbiota, Immune Response, and Related Gene Expression
by Min Li, Dan Gou, Panke Gong, Weixiao Di, Lina Wang, Jun Ding, Yaqing Chang and Rantao Zuo
Biology 2023, 12(12), 1523; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12121523 - 14 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1811
Abstract
A 90 d feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin E (VE) on growth, intestinal microbiota, immune response, and related gene expression of juvenile sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius). Six dry feeds were made to contain graded levels of [...] Read more.
A 90 d feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin E (VE) on growth, intestinal microbiota, immune response, and related gene expression of juvenile sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius). Six dry feeds were made to contain graded levels of VE (78, 105, 152, 235, 302, and 390 mg/kg); these were named E78, E105, E152, E235, E302, and E390, respectively. Dry feed E50 and fresh kelp (HD) were used as the control diets. There were six replicates of cages in each dietary group, and each cage held 20 sea urchins with an initial body weight of approximately 1.50 g. Results exhibited that weight gain rate and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of the sea urchins were not significantly affected by dietary VE ranging from 78 to 390 mg/kg. Sea urchins in the dry feed groups showed poorer growth performance, but significantly higher GSI than those in the fresh kelp groups. The pepsin and lipase activities were not significantly promoted by low or moderate VE, but were inhibited by a high level of VE (302–390 mg/kg), while amylase and cellulase activities were significantly increased by low or moderate VE, with the highest values observed in the E105 and E235 groups, respectively. VE addition at a low dosage (105–152 mg/kg) showed inhibitory effects on immune and antioxidant enzyme activities and expression of inflammation-related genes, but showed no beneficial effects at moderate or high dosage (235–390 mg/kg), while a moderate or relatively higher level of VE (235–302 mg/kg) significantly increased the expression of several immune-related genes. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Ruegeria, and Maliponia in the intestine of the sea urchins increased with the increase in VE in the dry feeds. On the contrary, the relative abundance of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Escherichia-Shigella, Bacteroides, and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 gradually decreased as VE content increased. These results indicated that a moderate level of VE (172.5–262.4) can achieve ideal digestive enzyme activities and growth performance, but a relatively higher level of VE (235–302 mg/kg) was beneficial for maintaining the immune and antioxidant capacity of juvenile S. intermedius by regulating the expression of inflammation- and immune-related genes and abundance of some bacteria to a healthy state. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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8 pages, 1144 KiB  
Communication
Characteristics of the Intestine Extracts and Their Effect on the Crude Collagen Fibers of the Body Wall from Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus
by Shi-Qi Xu, Zheng-Yu Zhang, Bin Nie, Yi-Nan Du, Yue Tang and Hai-Tao Wu
Biology 2023, 12(5), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12050705 - 12 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
Sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus will vomit their intestines during certain stimulations, and the collagen of the body wall will then be degraded. To define the effect of the sea cucumber intestine extracts on the body wall, the intestinal extracts and crude collagen fibers [...] Read more.
Sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus will vomit their intestines during certain stimulations, and the collagen of the body wall will then be degraded. To define the effect of the sea cucumber intestine extracts on the body wall, the intestinal extracts and crude collagen fibers (CCF) of sea cucumber A. japonicus were prepared. According to the gelatin zymography, the type of endogenous enzymes in intestinal extracts were mainly serine endopeptidases with optimal activities at pH 9.0 and 40 °C. According to the rheology results, the viscosity of 3% CCF decreased from 32.7 Pa·s to 5.3 Pa·s by adding intestine extracts. The serine protease inhibitor phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride inhibited the activity of intestinal extracts and increased the viscosity of collagen fibers to 25.7 Pa·s. The results proved that serine protease in the intestinal extracts participated in the process of body wall softening in sea cucumbers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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Review

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17 pages, 1044 KiB  
Review
Research Progress on Starfish Outbreaks and Their Prevention and Utilization: Lessons from Northern China
by Liang Qu, Yongxin Sun, Chong Zhao, Maurice R. Elphick and Qingzhi Wang
Biology 2024, 13(7), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070537 - 17 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1610
Abstract
Starfish are keystone species as predators in benthic ecosystems, but when population outbreaks occur, this can have devastating consequences ecologically. Furthermore, starfish outbreaks and invasions can have adverse impact economically by impacting shellfish aquaculture. For example, an infestation of starfish in Qingdao led [...] Read more.
Starfish are keystone species as predators in benthic ecosystems, but when population outbreaks occur, this can have devastating consequences ecologically. Furthermore, starfish outbreaks and invasions can have adverse impact economically by impacting shellfish aquaculture. For example, an infestation of starfish in Qingdao led to a 50% reduction in sea cucumber production and an 80% reduction in scallop production, resulting in an economic loss of approximately RMB 100 million to oyster and other shellfish industries. Addressing the imperative need to proactively mitigate starfish invasions requires comprehensive research on their behavior and the underlying mechanisms of outbreaks. This review scrutinizes the historical patterns of outbreaks among diverse starfish species across various regions, delineates the factors contributing to the proliferation of Asterias amurensis in Chinese waters, articulates preventive and remedial strategies, and outlines the potential for the sustainable utilization of starfish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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28 pages, 8061 KiB  
Review
Basement Membranes, Brittlestar Tendons, and Their Mechanical Adaptability
by Iain C. Wilkie
Biology 2024, 13(6), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13060375 - 24 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1406
Abstract
Basement membranes (BMs) are thin layers of extracellular matrix that separate epithelia, endothelia, muscle cells, and nerve cells from adjacent interstitial connective tissue. BMs are ubiquitous in almost all multicellular animals, and their composition is highly conserved across the Metazoa. There is increasing [...] Read more.
Basement membranes (BMs) are thin layers of extracellular matrix that separate epithelia, endothelia, muscle cells, and nerve cells from adjacent interstitial connective tissue. BMs are ubiquitous in almost all multicellular animals, and their composition is highly conserved across the Metazoa. There is increasing interest in the mechanical functioning of BMs, including the involvement of altered BM stiffness in development and pathology, particularly cancer metastasis, which can be facilitated by BM destabilization. Such BM weakening has been assumed to occur primarily through enzymatic degradation by matrix metalloproteinases. However, emerging evidence indicates that non-enzymatic mechanisms may also contribute. In brittlestars (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea), the tendons linking the musculature to the endoskeleton consist of extensions of muscle cell BMs. During the process of brittlestar autotomy, in which arms are detached for the purpose of self-defense, muscles break away from the endoskeleton as a consequence of the rapid destabilization and rupture of their BM-derived tendons. This contribution provides a broad overview of current knowledge of the structural organization and biomechanics of non-echinoderm BMs, compares this with the equivalent information on brittlestar tendons, and discusses the possible relationship between the weakening phenomena exhibited by BMs and brittlestar tendons, and the potential translational value of the latter as a model system of BM destabilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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21 pages, 1772 KiB  
Review
Morphology and Chemical Messenger Regulation of Echinoderm Muscles
by Huachen Liu and Muyan Chen
Biology 2023, 12(10), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12101349 - 20 Oct 2023
Viewed by 2527
Abstract
The muscular systems of echinoderms play important roles in various physiological and behavioral processes, including feeding, reproduction, movement, respiration, and excretion. Like vertebrates, echinoderm muscle systems can be subdivided into two major divisions, somatic and visceral musculature. The former usually has a myoepithelial [...] Read more.
The muscular systems of echinoderms play important roles in various physiological and behavioral processes, including feeding, reproduction, movement, respiration, and excretion. Like vertebrates, echinoderm muscle systems can be subdivided into two major divisions, somatic and visceral musculature. The former usually has a myoepithelial organization, while the latter contains muscle bundles formed by the aggregation of myocytes. Neurons and their processes are also detected between these myoepithelial cells and myocytes, which are capable of releasing a variety of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to regulate muscle activity. Although many studies have reported the pharmacological effects of these chemical messengers on various muscles of echinoderms, there has been limited research on their receptors and their signaling pathways. The muscle physiology of echinoderms is similar to that of chordates, both of which have the deuterostome mode of development. Studies of muscle regulation in echinoderms can provide new insights into the evolution of myoregulatory systems in deuterostomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Echinoderm Research)
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