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Küpper SC, Klass KD, Uhl G, Eberhard MJB. Comparative morphology of the internal female genitalia in two species of Mantophasmatodea. ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-018-0421-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Monteiro MF, Lisboa LCO, Carvalho-Costa TM, Nevoa JC, Oliveira CJF, Serrão JE, Souza EA. Morphology of the spermatheca of Triatoma lecticularia (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (Stal, 1859). BRAZ J BIOL 2018; 79:144-148. [PMID: 29590252 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.180932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Triatoma lecticularia (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (Stal, 1859) is a potential vector of Chagas's disease and the comprehension of its reproductive biology is an important tool to control this insect. In the reproductive tract of female insects, the spermatheca plays a crucial role storing male spermatozoa after mating. Whithin insects the spermatheca shows a wide morphological diversity and the analysis of this characteristic can contribute to understand the reproductive biology of the species. This study describes the histology and histochemistry of the spermatheca of T. lecticularia. Females have a pair of elongated spermathecal reservoirs without associated accessory gland. The reservoir opens into the common oviduct via a narrow muscular duct. The reservoir epithelium has single layer of columnar secretory cells. The control of the release of spermatozoa from the spermatheca occurs via the muscular duct. The anatomical features of the spermatheca of T. lecticularia resemble those described of other Reduviidae. However, the histological and histochemical features of spermatheca observed in T. lecticularia were important to explain the maintenance of the viability of the spermatozoa stored.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Monteiro
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Campus Rio Paranaíba, Rodovia MG 230, Km 7, CEP 38810-000, Rio Paranaíba, MG, Brasil
| | - L C O Lisboa
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Campus Rio Paranaíba, Rodovia MG 230, Km 7, CEP 38810-000, Rio Paranaíba, MG, Brasil
| | - T M Carvalho-Costa
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro - UFTM, Campus I, Praça Manoel Terra, 330, 1o Piso, N.Sa. da Abadia, CEP 38025-015, Uberaba, MG, Brasil
| | - J C Nevoa
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro - UFTM, Campus I, Praça Manoel Terra, 330, 1o Piso, N.Sa. da Abadia, CEP 38025-015, Uberaba, MG, Brasil
| | - C J F Oliveira
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro - UFTM, Campus I, Praça Manoel Terra, 330, 1o Piso, N.Sa. da Abadia, CEP 38025-015, Uberaba, MG, Brasil
| | - J E Serrão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs, s/no, Campus Universitário, CEP 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brasil
| | - E A Souza
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Campus Rio Paranaíba, Rodovia MG 230, Km 7, CEP 38810-000, Rio Paranaíba, MG, Brasil
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Rodríguez-Mirón GM, Zaragoza-Caballero S, López-Pérez S. Comparative morphology of the spermatheca in Megalopodidae (Coleoptera, Chrysomeloidea). Zookeys 2018:47-64. [PMID: 29290724 PMCID: PMC5740417 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.720.14088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The spermatheca is an organ that stores and maintains viability of sperm until fertilization. It has an important role in copulation and oviposition, and it is highly informative in species delimitation. Here, we present a comparative study of the spermathecal morphology in the coleopteran family Megalopodidae. The spermathecae of 34 species, representing 13 genera and all three subfamilies, were studied. Illustrations are newly provided for all species, except in 14 cases in which illustrations were reproduced from previously published literature. Our results show that each subfamily of Megalopodidae can be effectively differentiated based on the particular spermathecal anatomy. In addition, the spermathecal anatomy presents a range of variation within each subfamily, useful for diagnosing species and, in some cases, identifying groups of genera. For instance, the “American group” is thus recognized in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geovanni M Rodríguez-Mirón
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-153, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Santiago Zaragoza-Caballero
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-153, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sara López-Pérez
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-153, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
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Matsumura Y, Kovalev AE, Gorb SN. Penetration mechanics of a beetle intromittent organ with bending stiffness gradient and a soft tip. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:eaao5469. [PMID: 29279866 PMCID: PMC5738233 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao5469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Hyper-elongated structures and their penetration are widespread among insects, for example, intromittent organs, ovipositors, and piercing-sucking mouthparts. The penetration of thin structures with high aspect ratio without buckling and rupturing is mechanically very challenging. However, this problem is economically solved in nature, and the solutions might be helpful for, for example, in the development of harmless catheters. We focus on the penetration process of a hyper-elongated structure of a cassidine beetle intromittent organ, termed a flagellum. We applied a three-point bending test for the flagellum to measure its bending stiffness along the entire flagellum. We demonstrated the bending stiffness gradient, in which the basal half is relatively stiff and the apical half is softer, whose good performance during copulation had been previously numerically demonstrated. The stiffness gradient is the result of the flagellum shape, which is cylindrical and tapered toward the tip. Moreover, the curved tip comprises a harder outer curve and a softer inner curve. Considering the findings of preceding studies, the flagellum works in the following way: (i) the bending stiffness gradient supports the flagellum, easily fitting to a shape of a highly coiled spermathecal duct, (ii) the stiffness property of the very tip may make the tip tougher, and (iii) the curled tip and homogeneously cylindrical shape of the organ help the very tip to fit the shape of the spermathecal duct of the female. Our study shows that the apparently simple flagellum penetration is achieved with numerous elaborate mechanical adaptations.
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Gotoh A, Shigenobu S, Yamaguchi K, Kobayashi S, Ito F, Tsuji K. Transcriptome profiling of the spermatheca identifies genes potentially involved in the long-term sperm storage of ant queens. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5972. [PMID: 28729606 PMCID: PMC5519678 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05818-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Females of social Hymenoptera only mate at the beginning of their adult lives and produce offspring until their death. In most ant species, queens live for over a decade, indicating that ant queens can store large numbers of spermatozoa throughout their long lives. To reveal the prolonged sperm storage mechanisms, we identified enriched genes in the sperm-storage organ (spermatheca) relative to those in body samples in Crematogaster osakensis queens using the RNA-sequencing method. The genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, proteases, and extracellular matrix-related genes, and novel genes that have no similar sequences in the public databases were identified. We also performed differential expression analyses between the virgin and mated spermathecae or between the spermathecae at 1-week and 1-year after mating, to identify genes altered by the mating status or by the sperm storage period, respectively. Gene Ontology enrichment analyses suggested that antioxidant function is enhanced in the spermatheca at 1-week after mating compared with the virgin spermatheca and the spermatheca at 1-year after mating. In situ hybridization analyses of 128 selected contigs revealed that 12 contigs were particular to the spermatheca. These genes have never been reported in the reproductive organs of insect females, suggesting specialized roles in ant spermatheca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Gotoh
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan.
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Katsushi Yamaguchi
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- Life Science Center of Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA Center), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Fuminori Ito
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Ikenobe, Miki, 761-0795, Japan
| | - Kazuki Tsuji
- Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
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