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Ultrastructural changes of the midgut epithelium in Isohypsibius granulifer granulifer Thulin, 1928 (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada) during oogenesis

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Abstract

The midgut epithelium of Isohypsibius granulifer granulifer (Eutardigrada) is composed of columnar digestive cells. At its anterior end, a group of cells with cytoplasm which differs from the cytoplasm of digestive cells is present. Probably, those cells respond to crescent-like cells (midgut regenerative cells) described for some tardigrade species. Their mitotic divisions have not been observed. We analyzed the ultrastructure of midgut digestive cells in relation to five different stages of oogenesis (previtellogenesis, beginning of the vitellogenesis, vitellogenesis—early choriogenesis, vitellogenesis—middle choriogenesis, late choriogenesis). In the midgut epithelium cells, the gradual accumulation of glycogen granules, lipid droplets and structures of varying electron density occurs. During vitellogenesis and choriogenesis, in the cytoplasm of midgut cells we observed the increasing number of organelles which are responsible for the intensive synthesis of lipids, proteins and saccharides such as cisterns of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes. At the end of oogenesis, autophagy also intensifies in midgut epithelial cells, which is probably caused by the great amount of reserve material. Midgut epithelium of analyzed species takes part in the yolk precursor synthesis.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Danuta Urbańska-Jasik (University of Silesia, Poland) for her technical assistance and to Professor Clark Beasley (USA), Professor Paul Bartels (USA) and the reviewers for valuable remarks on the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Histology and Embryology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, 40-007, Katowice, Poland

    Magdalena M. Rost-Roszkowska, Izabela Poprawa & Maria Wójtowicz

  2. Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, A. Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland

    Łukasz Kaczmarek

Authors
  1. Magdalena M. Rost-Roszkowska
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  2. Izabela Poprawa
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  3. Maria Wójtowicz
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  4. Łukasz Kaczmarek
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Correspondence to Magdalena M. Rost-Roszkowska.

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Handling Editor: Reimer Stick

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Rost-Roszkowska, M.M., Poprawa, I., Wójtowicz, M. et al. Ultrastructural changes of the midgut epithelium in Isohypsibius granulifer granulifer Thulin, 1928 (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada) during oogenesis. Protoplasma 248, 405–414 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-010-0186-9

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