Identifying sub-lethal endpoints of stress in ramshorn snail (Planorbella pilsbryi) using non-targeted metabolomics on hemolymph

Abstract

In North America, 64.4% of known gastropod species are endangered, vulnerable, or at risk with an additional 10% presumed extinct. There is a need to better understand the stressors that are having adverse effects on gastropod populations. Non-target metabolomics was used to characterize the effect of copper and niclosamide on freshwater gastropod Planorbella pilsbryi. Hemolymph was removed from snails and the metabolites extracted. Extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry. There were 78 significantly different metabolites between control and treatment groups from the copper exposure experiments. The niclosamide experiment found no significant differences in metabolites between the control and treatment groups except at 48 h with a total of 7 significant metabolites found. The results from this study show that metabolomics was able to detect differences between the exposed and control groups, therefore, future research involving metabolomics and freshwater gastropods is promising.