Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase.
The gastrointestinal tract of animals is adapted to their primary source of food to optimize resource use and energy intake. Temperate bat species mainly feed on arthropods. These contain the energy-rich carbohydrate chitin, which is indigestible for the endogenous enzymes of a typical mammalian gas...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3dd1838330974626a06f97e85d1802d6 2023-05-15T17:13:46+02:00 Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. Sara Strobel Anna Roswag Nina I Becker Tina E Trenczek Jorge A Encarnação 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072770 https://doaj.org/article/3dd1838330974626a06f97e85d1802d6 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3760910?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072770 https://doaj.org/article/3dd1838330974626a06f97e85d1802d6 PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 9, p e72770 (2013) Medicine R Science Q article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072770 2022-12-31T01:51:27Z The gastrointestinal tract of animals is adapted to their primary source of food to optimize resource use and energy intake. Temperate bat species mainly feed on arthropods. These contain the energy-rich carbohydrate chitin, which is indigestible for the endogenous enzymes of a typical mammalian gastrointestinal tract. However, the gastrointestinal tract of bat species should be adapted to their diet and be able to digest chitin. We hypothesized that (i) European vespertilionid bat species have the digestive enzyme chitinase and that (ii) the chitinolytic activity is located in the intestine, as has been found for North American bat species. The gastrointestinal tracts of seven bat species (Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus auritus, Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis nattereri, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis myotis, and Nyctalus leisleri) were tested for chitinolytic activity by diffusion assay. Gastrointestinal tracts of P. pipistrellus, P. auritus, M. nattereri, M. myotis, and N. leisleri were examined for acidic mammalian chitinase by western blot analysis. Tissue sections of the gastrointestinal tract of P. pipistrellus were immunohistochemically analyzed to locate the acidic mammalian chitinase. Chitinolytic activity was detected in the stomachs of all bat species. Western blot analysis confirmed the acidic mammalian chitinase in stomach samples. Immunohistochemistry of the P. pipistrellus gastrointestinal tract indicated that acidic mammalian chitinase is located in the stomach chief cells at the base of the gastric glands. In conclusion, European vespertilionid bat species have acidic mammalian chitinase that is produced in the gastric glands of the stomach. Therefore, the gastrointestinal tracts of insectivorous bat species evolved an enzymatic adaptation to their diet. Article in Journal/Newspaper Myotis nattereri Pipistrellus pipistrellus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLoS ONE 8 9 e72770 |
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Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Sara Strobel Anna Roswag Nina I Becker Tina E Trenczek Jorge A Encarnação Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
The gastrointestinal tract of animals is adapted to their primary source of food to optimize resource use and energy intake. Temperate bat species mainly feed on arthropods. These contain the energy-rich carbohydrate chitin, which is indigestible for the endogenous enzymes of a typical mammalian gastrointestinal tract. However, the gastrointestinal tract of bat species should be adapted to their diet and be able to digest chitin. We hypothesized that (i) European vespertilionid bat species have the digestive enzyme chitinase and that (ii) the chitinolytic activity is located in the intestine, as has been found for North American bat species. The gastrointestinal tracts of seven bat species (Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus auritus, Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis nattereri, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis myotis, and Nyctalus leisleri) were tested for chitinolytic activity by diffusion assay. Gastrointestinal tracts of P. pipistrellus, P. auritus, M. nattereri, M. myotis, and N. leisleri were examined for acidic mammalian chitinase by western blot analysis. Tissue sections of the gastrointestinal tract of P. pipistrellus were immunohistochemically analyzed to locate the acidic mammalian chitinase. Chitinolytic activity was detected in the stomachs of all bat species. Western blot analysis confirmed the acidic mammalian chitinase in stomach samples. Immunohistochemistry of the P. pipistrellus gastrointestinal tract indicated that acidic mammalian chitinase is located in the stomach chief cells at the base of the gastric glands. In conclusion, European vespertilionid bat species have acidic mammalian chitinase that is produced in the gastric glands of the stomach. Therefore, the gastrointestinal tracts of insectivorous bat species evolved an enzymatic adaptation to their diet. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sara Strobel Anna Roswag Nina I Becker Tina E Trenczek Jorge A Encarnação |
author_facet |
Sara Strobel Anna Roswag Nina I Becker Tina E Trenczek Jorge A Encarnação |
author_sort |
Sara Strobel |
title |
Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
title_short |
Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
title_full |
Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
title_fullStr |
Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
title_sort |
insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072770 https://doaj.org/article/3dd1838330974626a06f97e85d1802d6 |
genre |
Myotis nattereri Pipistrellus pipistrellus |
genre_facet |
Myotis nattereri Pipistrellus pipistrellus |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 9, p e72770 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3760910?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072770 https://doaj.org/article/3dd1838330974626a06f97e85d1802d6 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072770 |
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PLoS ONE |
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8 |
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9 |
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e72770 |
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1766070958309769216 |