Mating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queens

Página do item simplificado
dc.contributor.authorda Silva, Iago Bueno [UNESP]
dc.contributor.authorCosta-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-29T13:27:37Z
dc.date.available2023-07-29T13:27:37Z
dc.date.issued2023-05-01
dc.description.abstractInsect 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.en
dc.description.affiliationLaboratório de Cupins Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), SP
dc.description.affiliationUnespLaboratório de Cupins Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), SP
dc.description.sponsorshipCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
dc.description.sponsorshipConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
dc.description.sponsorshipIdCAPES: 001
dc.description.sponsorshipIdCNPq: 305539/2014-0
dc.format.extent361-373
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eea.13253
dc.identifier.citationEntomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, v. 171, n. 5, p. 361-373, 2023.
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/eea.13253
dc.identifier.issn1570-7458
dc.identifier.issn0013-8703
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-85141538510
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/247850
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofEntomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
dc.sourceScopus
dc.subjectBlattaria
dc.subjectCoptotermes gestroi
dc.subjecteusocial insect
dc.subjecthistochemistry
dc.subjectIsoptera
dc.subjectpest species
dc.subjectreproductive system
dc.subjectRhinotermitidae
dc.subjectsperm storage
dc.subjectspermatheca
dc.subjecttermite
dc.subjectultrastructure
dc.titleMating mediates morphophysiological changes in the spermathecae of Coptotermes gestroi queensen
dc.typeArtigo
unesp.author.orcid0000-0002-4584-9839[1]
unesp.author.orcid0000-0002-8874-5538[2]

Arquivos

Coleções

Artigos - Biologia - IBRC