Comparative mucomic analysis of three functionally distinct Cornu aspersum Secretions

• Published in: Nature Communications Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 5361 - 14
• Main Authors: Cerullo, Antonio R., McDermott, Maxwell B., Pepi, Lauren E., Liu, Zhi-Lun, Barry, Diariou, Zhang, Sheng, Yang, Xu, Chen, Xi, Azadi, Parastoo, Holford, Mande, Braunschweig, Adam B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer Science and Business Media LLC 02.09.2023; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 147/136; 38; 45; 631/45/56; 631/601/1737; Animals; Biological materials; Carbohydrates; Composite materials; Cornu aspersum; Cornus; Drug delivery; Environmental impact; Gastropoda; Glycosylation; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogels; Macromolecules; Meat; Mechanical properties; Mollusks; Mucus; multidisciplinary; Proteins; Q; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Secretions; Snails; Structure-function relationships; Tissue engineering
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41094-z

Every animal secretes mucus, placing them among the most diverse biological materials. Mucus hydrogels are complex mixtures of water, ions, carbohydrates, and proteins. Uncertainty surrounding their composition and how interactions between components contribute to mucus function complicates efforts to exploit their properties. There is substantial interest in commercializing mucus from the garden snail, Cornu aspersum , for skincare, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and composite materials. C. aspersum secretes three mucus—one shielding the animal from environmental threats, one adhesive mucus from the pedal surface of the foot, and another pedal mucus that is lubricating. It remains a mystery how compositional differences account for their substantially different properties. Here, we characterize mucus proteins, glycosylation, ion content, and mechanical properties that could be used to provide insight into structure-function relationships through an integrative “mucomics” approach. We identify macromolecular components of these hydrogels, including a previously unreported protein class termed Conserved Anterior Mollusk Proteins (CAMPs). Revealing differences between C. aspersum mucus shows how considering structure at all levels can inform the design of mucus-inspired materials. Mucus are ubiquitous natural materials, but little is known about their structures or properties. Here, the authors identify the components of three functional mucus from snails, which are the focus of a rapidly growing number of biomedical and cosmetic applications.