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Ramírez-Sánchez LF, Hernández BJ, Guzmán PA, Alfonso-Parra C, Avila FW. The effects of female age on blood-feeding, insemination, sperm storage, and fertility in the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). J Insect Physiol 2023; 150:104570. [PMID: 37806552 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Mating induces behavioral and physiological changes in female insects-collectively referred to as the female post-mating response (PMR)-that facilitate the production of progeny. PMRs are elicited by transfer of male-derived seminal components during mating, but are altered by other factors, including adult age. Increased female age is often accompanied by declines in fertility. However, mating shortly after emergence also impacts fertility in the insect model Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we determined the age post-emergence when females of the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti can be inseminated and blood-feed. We next examined fecundity, fertility, and the storage of sperm in the female reproductive tract in "young" (30-41 hours-old) and "old" (2- and 3-week-old) females, finding that blood-feeding began at 14 hours, and mating at ∼24 hours post-emergence. Although young females consumed smaller blood quantities and stored fewer sperm, they were similarly fertile to 4-day-old controls. Old females, however, suffered significant declines in fecundity by 2 weeks of age. Our results show that female Ae. aegypti start to become sexually receptive 1 day after their emergence, but can ingest blood much sooner, suggesting that mating is not a prerequisite to blood-feeding, and that females can ingest an arbovirus infected blood-meal shortly after emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brenda Juliana Hernández
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Catalina Alfonso-Parra
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia; Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Colombia
| | - Frank W Avila
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
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Abstract
Background Mating generally occurs after individuals reach adulthood. In many arthropods including spiders, the adult stage is marked by a final moult after which the genitalia are fully developed and functional. In several widow spider species (genus Latrodectus), however, immature females may mate a few days before they moult to adulthood, i.e. in their late-subadult stage. While the “adult” mating typically results in cannibalism, males survive the “immature” mating. During both “immature” and “adult” matings, males leave parts of their paired copulatory organs within female genitalia, which may act as mating plugs. To study potential costs and benefits of the two mating tactics, we investigated female genital morphology of the brown widow spider, L. geometricus. Light microscopy, histology and micro-computed tomography of early-subadult, late-subadult and adult females were conducted to determine the overall pattern of genital maturation. We compared genitalia of mated late-subadult and adult females to reveal potential differences in the genitalic details that might indicate differential success in sperm transfer and different environments for sperm storage and sperm competition. Results We found that the paired sperm storage organs (spermathecae) and copulatory ducts are developed already in late-subadult females and host sperm after immature mating. However, the thickness of the spermathecal cuticle and the staining of the secretions inside differ significantly between the late-subadult and adult females. In late-subadult females mating plugs were found with higher probability in both spermathecae compared to adult females. Conclusions Sperm transfer in matings with late-subadult females follows the same route as in matings with adult females. The observed differences in the secretions inside the spermathecae of adult and late-subadult females likely reflect different storage conditions for the transferred sperm which may lead to a disadvantage under sperm competition if the subadult female later re-mates with another male. However, since males mating with late-subadult females typically transfer sperm to both spermathecae they might benefit from numerical sperm competition as well as from monopolizing access to the female sperm storage organs. The assessment of re-mating probability and relative paternity will clarify the costs and benefits of the two mating tactics in light of these findings. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00404-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Sentenská
- Department of General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Strasse 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany. .,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Aileen Neumann
- Department of General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Strasse 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yael Lubin
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Israel
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Department of General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Strasse 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
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Dhillon A, Chowdhury T, Morbey YE, Moehring AJ. Reproductive consequences of an extra long-term sperm storage organ. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:159. [PMID: 33256600 PMCID: PMC7706275 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01704-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sperm storage plays a key role in the reproductive success of many sexually-reproducing organisms, and the capacity of long-term sperm storage varies across species. While there are theoretical explanations for why such variation exists, to date there are no controlled empirical tests of the reproductive consequences of additional long-term sperm storage. While Dipterans ancestrally have three long-term sperm organs, known as the spermathecae, Drosophila contain only two. Results We identified a candidate gene, which we call spermathreecae (sp3), in which a disruption cause the development of three functional spermathecae rather than the usual two in Drosophila. We used this disruption to test the reproductive consequences of having an additional long-term sperm storage organ. Compared to females with two spermathecae, females with three spermathecae store a greater total number of sperm and can produce offspring a greater length of time. However, they did not produce a greater total number of offspring. Conclusions Thus, additional long-term sperm storage in insects may increase female fitness through extending the range of conditions where she produces offspring, or through increasing the quality of offspring via enhanced local sperm competition at fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akashdeep Dhillon
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | | | - Yolanda E Morbey
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Amanda J Moehring
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.
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Zulekha K, Tagide D, Mercedes B. Spermathecal variation in temperate Opiliones. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 63:icaa120. [PMID: 32805033 PMCID: PMC10388384 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most arachnid fertilization occurs internally, allowing for a variety of post-copulatory mechanisms to take place. Females are expected to exert some level of control over sperm fate when 1) the point of gametic fusion is particularly distant from the point of oogenesis, 2) the time of syngamy is significantly later than the time of mating, 3) sperm are non-motile, and/or 4) the morphology of females allows for selective containment of sperm. Many of these conditions are met in Opiliones (a.k.a. "harvesters," "harvestmen," or "daddy-longlegs"), where we have evidence of sexual antagonism, multiple mating, and delayed oviposition for a number of species. We used confocal laser scanning microscopy to capture and analyze images of harvester spermathecae, structures within the genitalia of female arthropods that store and maintain sperm after copulation. Spermathecal morphology may have critical function in controlling seminal movement. We anticipated that species with previously identified traits associated with sexual antagonism would also have thicker and/or relatively more complex spermathecae. We examined spermathecal morphology in thirteen species of Leiobunum and one species of Hadrobunus, which were collected from North America and Japan. Our results show that eight species had structures consisting of a single chamber with no or partial invagination, and the remainder had multiple cuticular invaginations producing 2-3 lumina within the spermathecae. Using phylogenetic multivariate comparative methods, we estimated a trend towards cross-correlation between conflict and spermathecal traits. Some, but not all, of the species with thicker, more complex spermathecae had morphological traits associated with sexual conflict (larger body size, thicker genital muscle). In conclusion, we discuss methods to elucidate spermathecal mechanism and sperm precedence in these species. Confocal microscopy allowed us to visualize internal structures difficult to interpret with two-dimensional brightfield microscopy, a technique that could be applied to the characterization of internal reproductive structures in other arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karachiwalla Zulekha
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - deCarvalho Tagide
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
- Keith R. Porter Imaging Facility, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Burns Mercedes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
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Al-Sarhan R, Adgaba N, Tadesse Y, Alattal Y, Al-Abbadi A, Single A, Al-Ghamdi A. Reproductive biology and morphology of Apis mellifera jemenitica (Apidae) queens and drones. Saudi J Biol Sci 2019; 26:1581-1586. [PMID: 31762630 PMCID: PMC6864385 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate the important reproductive biology and morphology of A.m. jemenitica queens and drones through measuring the weight of virgin and mated queens, size and weight of spermathecae, weight of ovaries, number of ovarioles, quantity and viability of semen in queen and drones. Accordingly, the average weights of 0.139 ± 0.01 g and 0.143 ± 0.013 g recorded for virgin and mated queens respectively. The sizes of spermathecae were 1.248 ± 0.103 mm and 1.25 ± 0.022 mm for virgin and mated queens respectively. The mean weight of ovaries was 0.013 ± 0.003 g and the numbers of ovarioles varied from 124 to 163 with the mean of 142.9 ± 9.47 and with no significant difference between virgin and mated queens. The average number of stored sperm per spermathecae of mated queen was estimated to be 4.202 ± 0.613 million with the viability of 80.39%. The average number of sperm per drone recorded was 8,763,950 ± 1,633,203.15 with viability of 79.54 ± 6.70%. In general, the current study revealed that the values recorded for reproductive biology and morphological characters of A. m. jemenitica queens and drones were relatively lower than values recorded for other Apis mellifera races. This mainly could be associated with the body size of the race which is known to be the smallest race among A. mellifera races. Moreover, the harsh environmental conditions of the regions, high temperature, low humidity and limited resources may have contributed for the smaller biological and morphological values. The information will serve as a base in future selection and breeding of program of the race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramzi Al-Sarhan
- Abdullah Bagshan Chair for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nuru Adgaba
- Abdullah Bagshan Chair for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yilma Tadesse
- Abdullah Bagshan Chair for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yehya Alattal
- Abdullah Bagshan Chair for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal Al-Abbadi
- Plant Production and Protection Department, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, Jordan
| | - Arif Single
- Abdullah Bagshan Chair for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
- Abdullah Bagshan Chair for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Nascimento JD, Ribeiro AR, Almeida LA, de Oliveira J, Mendonça VJ, Cilense M, da Rosa JA. Morphology of the spermathecae of twelve species of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) vectors of Chagas disease. Acta Trop 2017; 176:440-445. [PMID: 28859957 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted by triatomines that have been described in a large number of studies. Most of those studies are related to external morphology and taxonomy, but some biochemical, genetic and physiological studies have also been published. There are a few publications in the literature about the internal organs of Triatominae, for instance the spermathecae, which are responsible for storing and maintaining the viability of the spermatozoids until the fertilization of the oocytes. This work aims to study the spermathecae of twelve species of triatomines obtained from the Triatominae Insectarium of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNESP, Araraquara, using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The spermathecae of the twelve species studied showed three morphological patterns: a) P. herreri sn, P. lignarius, P. megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, T. juazeirensis, T. sherlocki and T. tibiamaculata have spermathecae with a thin initial portion and an oval-shaped final portion; b) R. montenegrensis, R. nasutus, R. neglectus, R. pictipes and R. prolixus have tubular and winding spermathecae; c) T. infestans has oval spermathecae. In addition to the three morphological patterns, it was noted that each of the twelve species has particular features that differentiate them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Larissa Aguiar Almeida
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara.
| | - Jader de Oliveira
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara.
| | - Vagner José Mendonça
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara; Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Brazil.
| | - Mário Cilense
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Química, Araraquara.
| | - João Aristeu da Rosa
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Araraquara.
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Domínguez J, Aira M, Breinholt JW, Stojanovic M, James SW, Pérez-Losada M. Underground evolution: new roots for the old tree of lumbricid earthworms. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 83:7-19. [PMID: 25463017 PMCID: PMC4766815 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Earthworms belonging to the family Lumbricidae are extremely abundant in terrestrial temperate regions. They affect soil properties and nutrient cycling, thus shaping plant community composition and aboveground food webs. Some lumbricids are also model organisms in ecology and toxicology. Despite the intense research efforts dedicated to lumbricids over the last 130years, the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic classification of these organisms are still subject to great debate. Resolution of their systematics is hampered by the structural simplicity of the earthworm body plan and the existence of cryptic species. We sampled 160 earthworm specimens belonging to 84 lumbricid species (28 genera) and 22 Lumbricoidea outgroups, sequenced two nuclear genes, four mitochondrial genes and seven mitochondrial tRNAs and examined 22 morphological characters. We then applied a combination of phylogenetic methods to generate the first robust genus-level phylogeny of the Lumbricidae. Our results show that the current Lumbricidae classification and the underlying hypotheses of character evolution must be revised. Our chronogram suggests that lumbricids emerged in the Lower Cretaceous in the holarctic region and that their diversification has been driven by tectonic processes (e.g. Laurasia split) and geographical isolation. Our chronogram and character reconstruction analysis reveal that spermathecae number does not follow a gradual pattern of reduction and that parthenogenesis arose from sexual relatives multiple times in the group; the same analysis also indicates that both epigeic and anecic earthworms evolved from endogeic ancestors. These findings emphasize the strong and multiple changes to which morphological and ecological characters are subjected, challenging the hypothesis of character stasis in Lumbricidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Domínguez
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, E-36310, Spain.
| | - Manuel Aira
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, E-36310, Spain
| | - Jesse W Breinholt
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Mirjana Stojanovic
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, R. Domanovića 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Samuel W James
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Marcos Pérez-Losada
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Computational Biology Institute, George Washington University, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Invertebrate Zoology, US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
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Mayhew ML, Merritt DJ. The morphogenesis of spermathecae and spermathecal glands in Drosophila melanogaster. Arthropod Struct Dev 2013; 42:385-393. [PMID: 23872109 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Sperm storage in female insects is important for reproductive success and sperm competition. In Drosophila melanogaster females, sperm viability during storage is dependent upon secretions produced by spermathecae and parovaria. Class III dermal glands are present in both structures. Spermathecal glands are initially comprised of a three-cell unit that is refined to a single secretory cell in the adult. It encapsulates an end-apparatus joining to a cuticular duct passing secretions to the spermathecal lumen. We have examined spermatheca morphogenesis using DIC and fluorescence microscopy. In agreement with a recent study, cell division ceases by 36 h after puparium formation (APF). Immunostaining of the plasma membrane at this stage demonstrates that gland cells wrap around the developing end-apparatus and each other. By 48-60 h APF, the secretory cell exhibits characteristic adult morphology of an enlarged nucleus and extracellular reservoir. A novel finding is the presence of an extracellular reservoir in the basal support cell that is continuous with the secretory cell reservoir. Some indication of early spermathecal gland formation is evident in the division of enlarged cells lying adjacent to the spermathecal lumen at 18 h APF and in cellular processes that bind clusters of cells between 24 and 30 h APF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Leonard Mayhew
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Mansfield Place, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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