Comparative Glycomics Analyses of Three Functionally Distinct Secretions of the Garden Snail
There is substantial interest in commercializing mucus from the garden snail, Cornuaspersum, for diverse applications, including skincare, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and composite materials. C. aspersum secretes three types of 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. How compositional differences account for their substantially different properties was heretofore unknown.
With support from the GlycoMIP User Facility at UGA, under the direction of Parastoo Azadi, a research team led by Adam Braunschweig completed comprehensive detailed glycomics analyses of three mucus preparations with the GlycoMIP Orbitrap Eclipse mass spectrometer, elucidating substantial differences in glycosylation between the three mucus types. Sialic acids, which are uncommon in mollusks, were also detected in the adhesive mucus. The compositional differences could be responsible for differences in mucus stiffness and lubricity. Elucidating these structure–property relationships is key to developing novel sustainable materials.