Intraspecific genetic variation can drive phenotypic variation even across very closely related individuals. Here, we demonstrate that genetic differences between snails are a major contributor to wide variation in menthol anesthesia success in an important freshwater snail model system, Potamopyrgus antipodarum . Anesthesia is used to immobilize organisms for experiments and surgical procedures and to humanely mitigate pain. This is the first example of which we are aware of a role for genetic variation in anesthesia success in a mollusk. These findings highlight the fact that using only one strain or lineage for many experiments will not provide a full picture of phenotypic variation, demonstrate the importance of optimizing biomedically relevant techniques and protocols across a variety of genetic backgrounds, illuminate a potential mechanism underlying previously documented challenges in molluscan anesthesia, and set the stage for powerful and humane manipulative experiments in P. antipodarum .

中文翻译：

---

新西兰淡水蜗牛麻醉成功的种内遗传变异

即使在非常密切相关的个体之间，种内遗传变异也可以驱动表型变异。在这里，我们证明了蜗牛之间的遗传差异是重要的淡水蜗牛模型系统 Potamopyrgus antipodarum 中薄荷醇麻醉成功率差异很大的主要因素。麻醉用于固定生物体以进行实验和外科手术，并人道地减轻疼痛。这是我们意识到遗传变异在软体动物麻醉成功中的作用的第一个例子。这些发现强调了这样一个事实，即在许多实验中仅使用一种菌株或谱系将无法提供表型变异的全貌，证明了在各种遗传背景下优化生物医学相关技术和方案的重要性，