Changes in snail chemical profiles through host-parasite interactions

Abstract

Host behavior may be modified by their parasites to increase the likelihood of transmission, but mechanisms underlying these interactions are not well understood. Hosts and parasites release chemical signaling molecules, like oxylipins, that may affect transmission. Oxylipins are oxygenated metabolites of fatty acids that function as signaling molecules and have essential physiological and functional roles. Yet, the limited taxonomic and contextual scope of these studies constrains our ability to understand their role in parasite-modified behavior. We characterized oxylipins in field-collected File Ramshorn snails, Planorbella pilsbryi. We tested for differences in oxylipin profiles based on infection status (infected with the trematode Echinostoma trivolvis lineage a and uninfected) and parasite activity (high and low). Snail-conditioned water samples were produced by placing five snails into artificial spring water for four hours. Oxylipins were extracted from snail-conditioned water samples and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Infected snails emitted 69 oxylipins in higher amounts, with 37 only released by this group. Within infected snails, 18 oxylipins were emitted in higher amounts in snails with increased parasite activity. Oxylipins emitted in higher amounts by infected snails with increased parasite activity were predominantly derived from the cytochrome P450 pathway. As infected snails emit different oxylipin profiles than uninfected snails, their production may play a role in altering transmission success. By characterizing the oxylipins produced by snails, and how they are altered by infection, we can test their physiological and ecological roles in freshwater systems.

Keywords: Echinostoma trivolvis; Oxylipins; Parasite-modified behavior; Planorbella pilsbryi; Signaling molecules.