The dermis in the holothurian body wall is a typical catch connective tissue or mutable collagenous tissue that shows rapid changes in stiffness. Some chemical factors that change the stiffness of the tissue were found in previous studies, but the molecular mechanisms of the changes are not yet fully understood. Detection of factors that change the stiffness by working directly on the extracell...

A study of the metabolism of Bermuda marine invertebrates at 25 degrees C. shows that the respiratory rates of many of the tissues approximate those of vertebrate tissues at the same temperature. There is no apparent correlation between respiratory rate and phylogenetic development: tissues from some of the simpler forms use as much oxygen per unit weight as those from certain of the more highl...

The biological functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been studied in a number of eukaryotic species. Recent studies on vertebrate animals have demonstrated critical roles of miRNA in immune and metabolic activities. However, studies on the functions of miRNA in invertebrates are very limited. Here, we demonstrated that miR-31 from Apostichopus japonicus disrupts the balance of lipid metabolism, ...