2026-10-14T21:01:53Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/32684766 2026-09-13T15:56:05Z category_24436 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Low temperature suppresses mantle-mediated shell biomineralization in freshwater invasive golden mussels Miaolian Zhang (21974951) Shiguo Li (1414870) Fuwen Wang (12056152) Dan He (21974957) Haiyue Jing (24216575) Aibin Zhan (8706507) Invertebrate biology golden mussel biological invasion freshwater mussel biomineralization low temperature <p dir="ltr">Temperature is a major environmental filter shaping the distribution and invasion success of aquatic organisms. In invasive bivalves, persistence in high-latitude low temperature habitats depends not only on survival itself, but also on the maintenance of shell formation, a costly functional trait essential for protection and long-term performance. However, whether low temperature limits invasion by affecting shell biomineralization remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of low-temperature exposure on shell biomineralization in the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei and explored the underlying mechanisms. Mussels were exposed to control (25 °C) and low temperatures (15 °C and 5 °C), and shell-edge samples together with mantle, the shell-forming organ, were analyzed. Our electron microscopy results indicated that low-temperature exposures caused ultrastructural abnormalities in newly formed shell layers, including roughened periostracum, irregular pore-like structures, disordered nacre deposition, fragmented crystals, and loose packing. The hematoxylin-eosin-stained mantle exhibited progressive histopathological damage, including epithelial disorganization, fold deformation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and significant reductions in epithelial indentation height. Carbonic anhydrase and tyrosinase contents decreased significantly under low-temperature exposures, whereas reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, and catalase increased. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses further revealed coordinated changes in biomineralization-, stress response-, immune regulation-, and membrane-related genes and pathways. Together, these results show that low temperature suppresses mantle-mediated shell biomineralization in L. fortunei and suggest that impairment of this costly functional trait may represent an important physiological cost of low-temperature response, thereby helping explain how low temperature may constrain the invasion success of freshwater bivalves to high-latitude habitats.</p> 2026-09-13T15:56:05Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.32684766.v3 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Low_temperature_suppresses_mantle-mediated_shell_biomineralization_in_freshwater_invasive_golden_mussels/32684766 CC BY 4.0