Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: da Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]
Data de Publicação: 2023
Outros Autores: Costa-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eea.13253
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/247850
Resumo: Insect spermathecae play a crucial role in sperm storage and maintenance prior to egg fertilization. Within eusocial insects, this structure is well studied in the Hymenoptera, whose queens copulate during a short period early in life and store sperm for up to decades. Within Isoptera, sperm storage and maintenance inside the spermatheca are poorly understood, especially due to the presence of a sperm-providing king. Here, we compared the morphometric and morphophysiological features of the spermathecae of virgin and mated queens of the invasive termite Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The spermatheca comprises a finger-shaped reservoir divided into two regions and a duct limited by a narrow transition. The superficial spermatheca area, as well as the luminal area, increase significantly after insemination, even among queens whose reproductive activity was reduced, suggesting that sperm storage continues during such conditions. The secretion of proteins and polysaccharides into the spermathecal lumen was a remarkable feature for both virgin and 4-year-old queens, although the concentration of the secreted content increased in the latter group. It suggests that spermatheca activation occurs before pairing, but its secretory activity intensifies to nourish and provide energy for the stored spermatozoa. Ultrastructure of the spermathecal epithelium showed a bicellular unit, composed of a secretory cell and associated canal cells. Secretory vesicles of various electron densities were observed next to the receiving canal of the secretory cells in both virgin and 2-year-old queens. Nevertheless, strongly electron-dense vesicles were only recorded for mated queens, which were associated with the increasing synthesis of proteins. The occurrence of rough endoplasmic reticulum and richness of mitochondria reinforces the protein synthesis and transport of contents towards the spermathecal lumen. In conclusion, the spermatheca of C. gestroi undergoes morphometric and physiological changes after mating, and further analysis may provide insights into the chemical nature of the spermathecal secretion prior to and after this event.
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spelling Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queensBlattariaCoptotermes gestroieusocial insecthistochemistryIsopterapest speciesreproductive systemRhinotermitidaesperm storagespermathecatermiteultrastructureInsect spermathecae play a crucial role in sperm storage and maintenance prior to egg fertilization. Within eusocial insects, this structure is well studied in the Hymenoptera, whose queens copulate during a short period early in life and store sperm for up to decades. Within Isoptera, sperm storage and maintenance inside the spermatheca are poorly understood, especially due to the presence of a sperm-providing king. Here, we compared the morphometric and morphophysiological features of the spermathecae of virgin and mated queens of the invasive termite Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The spermatheca comprises a finger-shaped reservoir divided into two regions and a duct limited by a narrow transition. The superficial spermatheca area, as well as the luminal area, increase significantly after insemination, even among queens whose reproductive activity was reduced, suggesting that sperm storage continues during such conditions. The secretion of proteins and polysaccharides into the spermathecal lumen was a remarkable feature for both virgin and 4-year-old queens, although the concentration of the secreted content increased in the latter group. It suggests that spermatheca activation occurs before pairing, but its secretory activity intensifies to nourish and provide energy for the stored spermatozoa. Ultrastructure of the spermathecal epithelium showed a bicellular unit, composed of a secretory cell and associated canal cells. Secretory vesicles of various electron densities were observed next to the receiving canal of the secretory cells in both virgin and 2-year-old queens. Nevertheless, strongly electron-dense vesicles were only recorded for mated queens, which were associated with the increasing synthesis of proteins. The occurrence of rough endoplasmic reticulum and richness of mitochondria reinforces the protein synthesis and transport of contents towards the spermathecal lumen. In conclusion, the spermatheca of C. gestroi undergoes morphometric and physiological changes after mating, and further analysis may provide insights into the chemical nature of the spermathecal secretion prior to and after this event.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Laboratório de Cupins Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), SPLaboratório de Cupins Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), SPCAPES: 001CNPq: 305539/2014-0Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)da Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]Costa-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]2023-07-29T13:27:37Z2023-07-29T13:27:37Z2023-05-01info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/article361-373http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eea.13253Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, v. 171, n. 5, p. 361-373, 2023.1570-74580013-8703http://hdl.handle.net/11449/24785010.1111/eea.132532-s2.0-85141538510Scopusreponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESPinstname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)instacron:UNESPengEntomologia Experimentalis et Applicatainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess2023-07-29T13:27:37Zoai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/247850Repositório InstitucionalPUBhttp://repositorio.unesp.br/oai/requestopendoar:29462024-08-05T15:09:07.687261Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
title Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
spellingShingle Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
da Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]
Blattaria
Coptotermes gestroi
eusocial insect
histochemistry
Isoptera
pest species
reproductive system
Rhinotermitidae
sperm storage
spermatheca
termite
ultrastructure
title_short Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
title_full Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
title_fullStr Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
title_full_unstemmed Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
title_sort Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens
author da Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]
author_facet da Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]
Costa-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]
author_role author
author2 Costa-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv da Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]
Costa-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Blattaria
Coptotermes gestroi
eusocial insect
histochemistry
Isoptera
pest species
reproductive system
Rhinotermitidae
sperm storage
spermatheca
termite
ultrastructure
topic Blattaria
Coptotermes gestroi
eusocial insect
histochemistry
Isoptera
pest species
reproductive system
Rhinotermitidae
sperm storage
spermatheca
termite
ultrastructure
description Insect spermathecae play a crucial role in sperm storage and maintenance prior to egg fertilization. Within eusocial insects, this structure is well studied in the Hymenoptera, whose queens copulate during a short period early in life and store sperm for up to decades. Within Isoptera, sperm storage and maintenance inside the spermatheca are poorly understood, especially due to the presence of a sperm-providing king. Here, we compared the morphometric and morphophysiological features of the spermathecae of virgin and mated queens of the invasive termite Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The spermatheca comprises a finger-shaped reservoir divided into two regions and a duct limited by a narrow transition. The superficial spermatheca area, as well as the luminal area, increase significantly after insemination, even among queens whose reproductive activity was reduced, suggesting that sperm storage continues during such conditions. The secretion of proteins and polysaccharides into the spermathecal lumen was a remarkable feature for both virgin and 4-year-old queens, although the concentration of the secreted content increased in the latter group. It suggests that spermatheca activation occurs before pairing, but its secretory activity intensifies to nourish and provide energy for the stored spermatozoa. Ultrastructure of the spermathecal epithelium showed a bicellular unit, composed of a secretory cell and associated canal cells. Secretory vesicles of various electron densities were observed next to the receiving canal of the secretory cells in both virgin and 2-year-old queens. Nevertheless, strongly electron-dense vesicles were only recorded for mated queens, which were associated with the increasing synthesis of proteins. The occurrence of rough endoplasmic reticulum and richness of mitochondria reinforces the protein synthesis and transport of contents towards the spermathecal lumen. In conclusion, the spermatheca of C. gestroi undergoes morphometric and physiological changes after mating, and further analysis may provide insights into the chemical nature of the spermathecal secretion prior to and after this event.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023-07-29T13:27:37Z
2023-07-29T13:27:37Z
2023-05-01
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eea.13253
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, v. 171, n. 5, p. 361-373, 2023.
1570-7458
0013-8703
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/247850
10.1111/eea.13253
2-s2.0-85141538510
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eea.13253
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/247850
identifier_str_mv Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, v. 171, n. 5, p. 361-373, 2023.
1570-7458
0013-8703
10.1111/eea.13253
2-s2.0-85141538510
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 361-373
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Scopus
reponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
instname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
instacron:UNESP
instname_str Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
instacron_str UNESP
institution UNESP
reponame_str Repositório Institucional da UNESP
collection Repositório Institucional da UNESP
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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