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Journal ArticleDOI

Ultrastructural and functional aspects of the spermatheca of the African Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria migratorioides (Reiche and Fairmaire) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

TL;DR: The ultrastructure of the spermathecal epithelium of the African Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria migratorioides was investigated with the aid of transmission and scanning electron microscopic methods.
Abstract: The ultrastructure of the spermathecal epithelium of the African Migratory Locust Locusta migratoria migratorioides R. & F. (Orthoptera: Acrididae) was investigated with the aid of transmission and scanning electron microscopic methods. The unpaired spermatheca can be subdivided into a multiple coiled tube and a terminal bulb region with vestibule, small apical and extensive pre-apical diverticulum. The wall of the spermatheca consists of a chitin intima, a layer of epithelial cells with a distinct apical microvilli border and a layer of gland cells, whereby slender projections of the epithelial cells extend between the gland cells. Through extensive folding, the basal plasma membrane of the gland and epithelial cells form a huge labyrinth, which is bounded by a basal lamina. Extending into the above mentioned projections there are bundles of parallel-arrayed microtubules, which run perpendicular to the microvilli border of the epithelial cell. They end in the base region of the microvilli and in the basal labyrinth on hemidesmosomes and serve to provide a mechanically stressable anchorage for the epithelium. The gland cells show structures typical for the production of export proteins: ribosomes, rER, dictyosomes, as well as vesicles of different size and electron-density. Every gland cell contains an extracellular cavity, arising through invagination, which is coated with a microvilli border. Over an end-apparatus and a ductule joining onto it (also with chitin intima) the lumen of the extracellular cavity is connected with the spermathecal lumen. The release of secretions and other substances from the epithelium into the spermatheca lumen is as possible as the uptake of substances from the latter into the epithelium. Regional differences in the fine structure of the cuticular intima, epithelial and gland cells point to different functions of the epithelium in these regions.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 2017-Zoology
TL;DR: This review examines several aspects of and gaps in the current understanding of spermatheca biology, including morphology, function, reservoir filling, development, and biochemistry.

72 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2007-Peptides
TL;DR: This review highlights more recent literature, including new data, for neural and hormonal control of muscular activity of the spermatheca of the locust, Locusta migratoria, making reference to examples in other insects where relevant.

26 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results obtained from periodic acid Schiff assays of cell apexes and lumens indicate that gland cells produce and secrete neutral polysaccharides probably related to maintenance of spermatozoa, contributing to understanding of gamete maintenance in the spermathecae of Ae.
Abstract: The vectorial capacity of Aedes aegypti is directly influenced by its high reproductive output. Nevertheless, females are restricted to a single mating event, sufficient to acquire enough sperm to fertilize a lifetime supply of eggs. How Ae. aegypti is able to maintain viable spermatozoa remains a mystery. Male spermatozoa are stored within either of two spermathecae that in Ae. aegypti consist of one large and two smaller organs each. In addition, each organ is divided into reservoir, duct and glandular portions. Many aspects of the morphology of the spermatheca in virgin and inseminated Ae. aegypti were investigated here using a combination of light, confocal, electron and scanning microscopes, as well as histochemistry. The abundance of mitochondria and microvilli in spermathecal gland cells is suggestive of a secretory role and results obtained from periodic acid Schiff assays of cell apexes and lumens indicate that gland cells produce and secrete neutral polysaccharides probably related to maintenance of spermatozoa. These new data contribute to our understanding of gamete maintenance in the spermathecae of Ae. aegypti and to an improved general understanding of mosquito reproductive biology.

25 citations


Cites background from "Ultrastructural and functional aspe..."

  • ...As observed in spermathecae from other insects, these cells are quite different from each other in terms of morphology and ultrastructure and such differences may be associated with their different roles (Tombes & Roppel 1972, Lay et al. 1999, Staccomi & Romani 2010)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present study suggests that CCAP acts as a neuromodulator/neurotransmitter at the spermathecal visceral tissue of female Locusta migratoria.

23 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The role of octopamine in female reproduction in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been investigated in this paper, where the female's OA signaling system interacts with male molecules transferred during mating to elicit a subset of post-mating changes.
Abstract: The biogenic monoamine octopamine (OA) is a crucial regulator of invertebrate physiology and behavior. Since its discovery in the 1950s in octopus salivary glands, OA has been implicated in many biological processes among diverse invertebrate lineages. It can act as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator and neurohormone in a variety of biological contexts, and can mediate processes including feeding, sleep, locomotion, flight, learning, memory, and aggression. Here, we focus on the roles of OA in female reproduction in insects. OA is produced in the octopaminergic neurons that innervate the female reproductive tract (RT). It exerts its effects by binding to receptors throughout the RT to generate tissue- and region-specific outcomes. OA signaling regulates oogenesis, ovulation, sperm storage, and reproductive behaviors in response to the female's internal state and external conditions. Mating profoundly changes a female's physiology and behavior. The female's OA signaling system interacts with, and is modified by, male molecules transferred during mating to elicit a subset of the post-mating changes. Since the role of OA in female reproduction is best characterized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, we focus our discussion on this species but include discussion of OA in other insect species whenever relevant. We conclude by proposing areas for future research to further the understanding of OA's involvement in female reproduction in insects.

20 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The secretion of the glands from weevil less than 24-hr old apparently differs from those of 3-day old weevils.
Abstract: The secretion of the spermathecal gland, an epidermal derivative, has been suggested as the source of nutrients for the sperm which are stored in the spermatheca. This secretion is also necessary for spermathecal filling. The gland consists of 2 types of cells, secretory cells and collecting or ductule cells. The products of the secretory cells are deposited in a central cavity lined with microvilli. The collecting ductule extends into the central cavity and the secretory products move down the ductule into the central lumen of the gland. The contents of the gland are then deposited in the spermatheca. The ductules, ducts and the central lumen of the gland are lined with cuticle, as is the spermatheca. The secretion of the glands from weevils less than 24-hr old apparently differs from those of 3-day old weevils.

12 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The spermathecal wall of Melanoplus sanguinipes includes a thick intima, secretory units, a basal lamella, and small bundles of muscle and features perhaps related to the uptake of raw materials for manufacture of secretion.
Abstract: The spermathecal wall of Melanoplus sanguinipes includes a thick intima, secretory units, a basal lamella, and small bundles of muscle. Each secretory unit consists of a secretory cell and an epithelial cell, the latter surrounding the former on all sides except that adjacent to the basal lamella. The secretory cell shows the ultrastructure typical of cells engaged in the synthesis of protein for export. Distally the cell is invaginated to form a central cavity lined with microvilli. Secretion is released into the central cavity and travels via the end apparatus and efferent ductule to the spermathecal lumen. Basally, the secretory cell's plasma membrane is much folded and large numbers of mitochondria are concentrated in this region, along with small glycogen deposits, features perhaps related to the uptake of raw materials for manufacture of secretion. The epithelial cell flanges contain bundles of longitudinally arranged microtubules and large deposits of glycogen. Next to the basal lamella, the plasma...

11 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: Two spermathecae occur in Periplaneta americana; their structure is basically alike but notable differences exist; the search for virus revealed very interesting basic structure in the organs, some of which is reported here.
Abstract: Two spermathecae occur in Periplaneta americana; their structure is basically alike but notable differences exist. Cuticular tubules (canaliculi, efferent ducts) occur within modified epidermal cells in both, extending from the lumen of the organ outward to a recurved apical termination within a secretory cell. Peripheral muscles apply hydraulic pressure to the lumen contents via the tubules; an apical valve on each tubule allows a drop of sperm to be extruded for each egg but prevents emptying of the organ. During the time from initial mating through the end of oviposition, the spermathecae of insects are highly active organs; they store and maintain sperm, and deliver them on schedule during ovipostion. The high levels of activity in the glands made them a possible site for the multiplication and accumulation of virus particles. During the course of experiments with feeding live Coxsackie virus to P. americana, these structures were routinely removed, fixed, and examined with the elec tron microscope for possible virus invasion and multiplication. The search for virus revealed very interesting basic structure in the organs, some of which is reported here. Disagreement on basic structure of this organ still persists in the literature. Snodgrass's (1937) interpretation was that there was one spermatheca with a glandular accessory structure, but Gupta (1948) reported both branches histologically alike and both containing sperm. Ross (1956) referred to a single spermatheca with a spermathecal gland attached. Marks and Lawson (1962) reported that the spermatheca in P. americana was branched, and that one branch was capitate, while the other was coiled. Smith (1968) consistently referred to the organ as a single structure in P. americana; in a later work (Gupta and Smith, 1969) paired spermathecae "opening into the genital cavity by long, 1 Published with the approval of the Director, Wyoming Agricultural Experi ment Station, as Journal Article 435. Accepted for publication June 1, 1970. Early publication paid. 2 Supported by research grant No. RG-14304, from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 43:418-434. October, 1970. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:47:58 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Vol. 43, No. 4, October, 1970 419 slender ducts" were observed. The lack of agreement on the physical organization of the spermatheca was perhaps the reason the organ re ceived rather light treatment by Guthrie and Tyndall (1968). Materials and Methods Live insects were dissected from the dorsal aspect; spermathecae were removed and placed in a small container of fixative on ice. Fixa tion was for two hours in 1% Os04 buffered with veronal acetate and salts (Sjostrand, 1967). Each spermatheca was fixed intact, since each measured only about 1 mm long and % mm or less wide. Fixation was followed by dehydration in a graded acetone series and embedding in Vestopal W. Sections were cut with glass knives in an LKB ultra microtome; they were stained with 1% uranyl acetate and lead citrate and were examined with a Philips EM 300 electron microscope. For light microscopy, the posterior half of several female abdomens were cut from live specimens of P. americana and fixed in buffered formalin; these parts were embedded in Paraplast, sectioned either longi tudinally or transversely at 7 micra, and stained with haemotoxylin and eosin. For a different type of examination, both spermathecal struc tures were dissected from live females, cleared in warm KOH solution, washed and neutralized, and stained for light microscopy. Results and Discussion Dissections and light microscopy verify the presence of two sperma thecal structures in P. americana; for convenience these will be referred to as spermatheca A and spermatheca B. Spermatheca A is the struc ture called "the spermatheca" in most earlier works; it is capitate, at tached to a relatively straight duct, and is easily exposed by dorsal dis section. Spermatheca B is long, slender, and coiled, and from the dor sal approach is hidden beneath the last abdominal ganglion. The two join basally to form a common spermathecal duct traversing the sperma thecal papilla. Electron microscopy verifies the presence of sperm in both. The general structure of each of the spermathecae includes a lumen surrounded by a cuticular lining, a layer of typically functioning epider mal cells, a median (subperipheral) layer of secretory cells, and a pe ripheral layer (Figs. 1, 5) of muscle, nerves, tracheoles, and basement membrane more or less interspersed. The muscular layer is much thicker in spermatheca A (Fig. 2) than in B or in the duct (Figs. 1, 14). Light microscopy slides and KOH clearing of both spermathecae in dicate certain cuticular structure in common. A cuticular lining is present in both, as well as in the ducts. Long, slender cuticular tubules (tubular structure revealed in electron micrographs) extend outward from the central lining (Fig. 3); these are the "canaliculi [extending] into the cells of the thick glandular epithelium" (Snodgrass, 1937). This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:47:58 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 420 Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society Figs. 1-2. Fig. 1. Light microscope view of spermathecal complex in P. amer icana, X 83. A?spermatheca A; B?spermatheca B; D?duct; Lg?last abdominal ganglion. Fig. 2. Light microscope view of spermatheca A of P. americana, X 216. CI?cuticular lining; Lu?lumen; Mu?muscle layer. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:47:58 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Vol. 43, No. 4, October, 1970 421 V,,/ aft. K. ^^m^m^/^^Kr "^B^^^KBm' -?' iirn H

8 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Each spherical spermatheca of Glossina austeni Newst is composed of a cuticular lining of the lumen which is surrounded by a layer of secretory cells, and it is considered that these secretions are the medium, probably containing nutrients, in which spermatozoa are held while in the spermaticca.
Abstract: Each spherical spermatheca of Glossina austeni Newst. is composed of a cuticular lining of the lumen which is surrounded by a layer of secretory cells. When the spermatheca is immersed in Amann's lactophenol the cells of the cellular layer lift away from the cuticular intima revealing numerous clubbed processes projecting outwards from the surface of the intima. Sections of spermathecae examined by transmission electron microscopy show that one clubbed process is associated with each cell of the cellular layer. The “porous” head of the process is within a fluidfilled cavity in the cell, lined with microvilli. The stalk of each process is an extracellular duct down which secretions from the cellular layer pass into the lumen of the spermatheca. It is considered that these secretions are the medium, probably containing nutrients, in which spermatozoa are held while in the spermatheca.

8 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
S G Pal1, D Ghosh1
01 Mar 1982
TL;DR: The present transmission electron microscopic study of the spermatheca of a common Indian grasshopper has highlighted the presence of the glandular secretory cells (SGC) and ductule cell (DC) in the sPermathecal epithelium and additionally the occurrence of muscle cells, tracheoles and haemocytes.
Abstract: The present transmission electron microscopic study of the spermatheca of a common Indian grasshopper,Gesonula punctifrons, has highlighted the presence of the glandular secretory cells (SGC) and ductule cell (DC) in the spermathecal epithelium and additionally the occurrence of muscle cells, tracheoles and haemocytes. Both the former cell types are secretory in nature and probably their discharges in the lumen of the cuticle-lined spermathecal duct or ductule vary in their chemical nature. The ultrastructural evidence gives ample support to a concept of a lysosomal control of the secretory materials prior to their liberation in the lumen. The characteristic features of the plasma membranes of the secretory cells clearly suggest their involvement in the transepithelial transport of ions and smaller molecules across the basement membrane. A neuronal supply to the spermathecal wall is yet to be demonstrated to explain the filling in and out of the male gametes by this organ.

3 citations