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Ayala Costa D, Rezende PH, Salles FF, Desidério GR, Dias G, Lino-Neto J. Morphology of the male reproductive system and spermatozoa of Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) iguazu Flint, 1983 (Trichoptera, Hydropsychidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2024; 79:101344. [PMID: 38412706 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2024.101344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The Trichoptera, holometabolous aquatic insects found worldwide except in Antarctica, exhibit a unique feature in their sperm, which are solely nucleated (eupyrene). Current knowledge on Trichoptera sperm is limited to Old World species. To enhance our understanding of their reproductive biology and contribute to systematic discussions, we describe the male reproductive system and spermatozoa of Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) iguazu Flint, 1983 (Hydropsychidae). This species lacks seminal vesicles, possesses piriform to oval-shaped testes with spermatozoa grouped in apical bundles and dense filamentous material filling other areas. The vasa deferentia are long and a pair of elongated accessory glands displays distinct proximal and distal regions. The relatively short (∼40 μm) spermatozoa are nucleated, aflagellated, and immobile. Further research could explore variations and assess the taxonomic utility of these features for genus identification within Hydropsychidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayvson Ayala Costa
- Departamento de Entomologia, Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Paulo Henrique Rezende
- Departamento de Entomologia, Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Frederico Falcão Salles
- Departamento de Entomologia, Museu de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Gleison Robson Desidério
- Programa de Apoio à Fixação de Jovens Doutores No Brasil, Laboratório de Citotaxonomia e Insetos Aquáticos, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, 69067-375, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
| | - Glenda Dias
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - José Lino-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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2
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Seth RK, Yadav P, Reynolds SE. Dichotomous sperm in Lepidopteran insects: a biorational target for pest management. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:1198252. [PMID: 38469506 PMCID: PMC10926456 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2023.1198252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Lepidoptera are unusual in possessing two distinct kinds of sperm, regular nucleated (eupyrene) sperm and anucleate (apyrene) sperm ('parasperm'). Sperm of both types are transferred to the female and are required for male fertility. Apyrene sperm play 'helper' roles, assisting eupyrene sperm to gain access to unfertilized eggs and influencing the reproductive behavior of mated female moths. Sperm development and behavior are promising targets for environmentally safer, target-specific biorational control strategies in lepidopteran pest insects. Sperm dimorphism provides a wide window in which to manipulate sperm functionality and dynamics, thereby impairing the reproductive fitness of pest species. Opportunities to interfere with spermatozoa are available not only while sperm are still in the male (before copulation), but also in the female (after copulation, when sperm are still in the male-provided spermatophore, or during storage in the female's spermatheca). Biomolecular technologies like RNAi, miRNAs and CRISPR-Cas9 are promising strategies to achieve lepidopteran pest control by targeting genes directly or indirectly involved in dichotomous sperm production, function, or persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh K. Seth
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Priya Yadav
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Stuart E. Reynolds
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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3
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The Prmt5-Vasa module is essential for spermatogenesis in Bombyx mori. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010600. [PMID: 36634107 PMCID: PMC9876381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In lepidopteran insects, dichotomous spermatogenesis produces eupyrene spermatozoa, which are nucleated, and apyrene spermatozoa, which are anucleated. Both sperm morphs are essential for fertilization, as eupyrene sperm fertilize the egg, and apyrene sperm is necessary for the migration of eupyrene sperm. In Drosophila, Prmt5 acts as a type II arginine methyltransferase that catalyzes the symmetrical dimethylation of arginine residues in the RNA helicase Vasa. Prmt5 is critical for the regulation of spermatogenesis, but Vasa is not. To date, functional genetic studies of spermatogenesis in the lepidopteran model Bombyx mori has been limited. In this study, we engineered mutations in BmPrmt5 and BmVasa through CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing. Both BmPrmt5 and BmVasa loss-of-function mutants had similar male and female sterility phenotypes. Through immunofluorescence staining analysis, we found that the morphs of sperm from both BmPrmt5 and BmVasa mutants have severe defects, indicating essential roles for both BmPrmt5 and BmVasa in the regulation of spermatogenesis. Mass spectrometry results identified that R35, R54, and R56 of BmVasa were dimethylated in WT while unmethylated in BmPrmt5 mutants. RNA-seq analyses indicate that the defects in spermatogenesis in mutants resulted from reduced expression of the spermatogenesis-related genes, including BmSxl, implying that BmSxl acts downstream of BmPrmt5 and BmVasa to regulate apyrene sperm development. These findings indicate that BmPrmt5 and BmVasa constitute an integral regulatory module essential for spermatogenesis in B. mori.
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Yang D, Xu J, Chen K, Liu Y, Yang X, Tang L, Luo X, Liu Z, Li M, Walters JR, Huang Y. BmPMFBP1 regulates the development of eupyrene sperm in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010131. [PMID: 35312700 PMCID: PMC8970482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm deliver the male complement of DNA to the ovum, and thus play a key role in sexual reproduction. Accordingly, spermatogenesis has outstanding significance in fields as disparate as infertility treatments and pest-control, making it a broadly interesting and important focus for molecular genetics research in a wide range of species. Here we investigate spermatogenesis in the model lepidopteran insect Bombyx mori (silkworm moth), with particular focus on the gene PMFBP1 (polyamine modulated factor 1 binding protein 1). In humans and mouse, PMFBP1 is essential for spermatogenesis, and mutations of this gene are associated with acephalic spermatozoa, which cause infertility. We identified a B. mori gene labeled as “PMFBP1” in GenBank’s RefSeq database and sought to assess its role in spermatogenesis. Like in mammals, the silkworm version of this gene (BmPMFBP1) is specifically expressed in testes. We subsequently generated BmPMFBP1 mutants using a transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 system. Mutant males were sterile while the fertility of mutant females was comparable to wildtype females. In B. mori, spermatogenesis yields two types of sperm, the nucleated fertile eupyrene sperm, and anucleated unfertile apyrene sperm. Mutant males produced abnormal eupyrene sperm bundles but normal apyrene sperm bundles. For eupyrene sperm, nuclei were mislocated and disordered inside the bundles. We also found the BmPMFBP1 deficiency blocked the release of eupyrene sperm bundles from testes to ejaculatory seminalis. We found no obvious abnormalities in the production of apyrene sperm in mutant males, and double-matings with apyrene-deficient sex-lethal mutants rescued the ΔBmPMFBP1 infertility phenotype. These results indicate BmPMFBP1 functions only in eupyrene spermatogenesis, and highlight that distinct genes underlie the development of the two sperm morphs commonly found in Lepidoptera. Bioinformatic analyses suggest PMFBP1 may have evolved independently in lepidoptera and mammals, and that despite the shared name, are likely not homologous genes. The presence of nucleated and anucleated dimorphic sperm produced by a single male is a notable characteristic of lepidopteran insects. Previously we identified the gene BmSxl and BmPnldc1 are required for apyrene and eupyrene sperm development, respectively. However, there remains very little known about the molecular mechanism of eupyrene and apyrene sperm development and function. In human and mouse, the protein PMFBP1 is related to acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. Here, we generate somatic mutants in the silkworm Bombyx mori for this gene. In the silkworm, BmPMFBP1 is essential for male fertility. Loss of BmPMFBP1 function results in defective eupyrene sperm bundles in the early elongation stage of spermatogenesis. The nuclei of the eupyrene sperm bundles were displaced from sperm heads while the apyrene sperm bundles were normal. This deficiency also results in the failure of the release of eupyrene sperm bundles from testes to the ejaculatory seminalis duct. Our study proves the important function of BmPMFBP1 in the development of the eupyrene sperm in the silkworm and identifies a potential target gene for lepidopteran pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yujia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Linmeng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zulian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Muwang Li
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
| | - James R. Walters
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JRW); (YH)
| | - Yongping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (JRW); (YH)
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5
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Konagaya T, Idogawa N, Watanabe M. Destination of apyrene sperm following migration from the bursa copulatrix in the monandrous swallowtail butterfly Byasa alcinous. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20907. [PMID: 33262380 PMCID: PMC7708454 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77683-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Most male lepidopterans produce fertile eupyrene sperm and non-fertile apyrene sperm, both of which are transferred to the female in a spermatophore during mating. Apyrene sperm outnumbers eupyrene sperm and both sperm types migrate from the bursa copulatrix to the spermatheca after mating. While eupyrene sperm are maintained in the spermatheca until oviposition, the number of apyrene sperm decreases with time. It is unclear whether apyrene sperm disappear from all sperm storage organs in females because both sperm types are often observed in the spermathecal gland. To investigate this, the numbers of both sperm types were estimated in the spermatheca and spermathecal gland of female Byasa alcinous (a monandrous butterfly) 6, 12, 48, 96, and 192 h after mating terminated. Apyrene sperm arrived in the spermatheca earlier than eupyrene sperm; however, some eupyrene and apyrene sperm migrated to the spermathecal gland from the spermatheca at almost the same time. The number of apyrene sperm reached a peak 12 h after the termination of mating and then decreased with time in both the spermatheca and spermathecal gland. Our results suggest that the role of apyrene sperm might be completed early after arriving in the spermatheca of B. alcinous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuro Konagaya
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan. .,Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
| | - Naoto Idogawa
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mamoru Watanabe
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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6
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Chen S, Liu Y, Yang X, Liu Z, Luo X, Xu J, Huang Y. Dysfunction of dimorphic sperm impairs male fertility in the silkworm. Cell Discov 2020; 6:60. [PMID: 32963806 PMCID: PMC7477584 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-020-00194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm, which have a vital role in sexual reproduction in the animal kingdom, can display heteromorphism in some species. The regulation of sperm dichotomy remains a longstanding puzzle even though the phenomenon has been widely documented for over a century. Here we use Bombyx mori as a model to study a form of sperm dimorphism (eupyrene and apyrene sperm), which is nearly universal among Lepidoptera. We demonstrate that B. mori Sex-lethal (BmSxl) is crucial for apyrene sperm development, and that B. mori poly(A)-specific ribonuclease-like domain-containing 1 (BmPnldc1) is required for eupyrene sperm development. BmSXL is distributed in the nuclei and cytoplasm of somatic cyst cells in a mesh-like pattern and in the cytoplasm of germ cells enclosed in spermatocysts and sperm bundles. Cytological analyses of dimorphic sperm in BmSxl mutants (∆BmSxl) showed deficient apyrene sperm with abnormal nuclei, as well as loss of motility associated with malformed mitochondrial derivatives. We define the crucial function of apyrene sperm in the process of fertilization as assisting the migration of eupyrene spermatozoa from bursa copulatrix to spermatheca. By contrast, BmPnldc1 deficiency (∆BmPnldc1) caused eupyrene sperm abnormalities and impaired the release of eupyrene sperm bundles during spermiation. Although apyrene or eupyrene sperm defects impaired fertility of the mutated males, double copulation of a wild-type female with ∆BmSxl and ∆BmPnldc1 males could rescue the sterility phenotypes induced by single copulation with either gene-deficient male. Our findings demonstrate the crucial functions of BmSxl and BmPnldc1 in the development of sperm dimorphism and the indispensable roles of nonfertile apyrene sperm in fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Yujia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Zulian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Xingyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
- Present Address: Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Yongping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200032 Shanghai, China
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7
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Effects of photoperiod and aging on the adult spermatogenesis of Polygonia c-aureum (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), in relation to adult diapause. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:467-475. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01413-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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8
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Hiroyoshi S, Reddy GVP. Field and Laboratory Studies on the Ecology, Reproduction, and Adult Diapause of the Asian Comma Butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). INSECTS 2018; 9:E169. [PMID: 30469492 PMCID: PMC6315781 DOI: 10.3390/insects9040169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Adult diapause and reproduction of a nymphalid butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum L., were investigated in field and laboratory examinations. Laboratory studies showed that old virgin male butterflies of non-diapausing generations had heavy accessory glands and simplex, which were suppressed in diapausing generations. The number of eupyrene sperm bundles in the duplex increased with adult age, whereas testis size decreased with age. Field examinations indicated that reproductive development of both sexes of diapausing generations in autumn was suppressed, and developed in spring. We attempted to estimate the physiological age of wild-caught males, as adult male age can be estimated from the testis size. We also attempted to determine whether or not wild male butterflies had mated from the development of the accessory glands and simplex, as well as the number of eupyrene sperm bundles in the duplex, by comparing unmated males with mated males. Field examinations suggest that almost all females in a population of non-diapausing generations mated and showed a tendency toward polyandry, while in the diapausing generation, in spring, monoandry rather than polyandry predominated. This suggests a different mating strategy between non-diapausing and diapausing generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Hiroyoshi
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
- 202 Corpo Mankyu, 1-23-8 Nodamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1115, Japan.
| | - Gadi V P Reddy
- Department of Research Centers, Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University-Bozeman, 9546 Old Shelby Rd., P.O. Box 656, Conrad, MT 59425, USA.
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9
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Carvalho APS, Orr AG, Kawahara AY. A review of the occurrence and diversity of the sphragis in butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea). Zookeys 2017:41-70. [PMID: 29133999 PMCID: PMC5672779 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.694.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of many butterfly species secrete long-lasting mating plugs to prevent their mates from copulating with other males, thus ensuring their sperm will fertilize all future eggs laid. Certain species have further developed a greatly enlarged, often spectacular, externalized plug, termed a sphragis. This distinctive structure results from complex adaptations in both male and female genitalia and is qualitatively distinct from the amorphous, internal mating plugs of other species. Intermediate conditions between internal plug and external sphragis are rare. The term sphragis has often been misunderstood in recent years, hence we provide a formal definition based on accepted usage throughout most of the last century. Despite it being a highly apparent trait, neither the incidence nor diversity of the sphragis has been systematically documented. We record a sphragis or related structure in 273 butterfly species, representing 72 species of Papilionidae in 13 genera, and 201 species of Nymphalidae in 9 genera. These figures represent respectively, 13% of Papilionidae, 3% of Nymphalidae, and 1% of known butterfly species. A well-formed sphragis evolved independently in at least five butterfly subfamilies, with a rudimentary structure also occurring in an additional subfamily. The sphragis is probably the plesiomorphic condition in groups such as Parnassius (Papilionidae: Parnassiinae) and many Acraeini (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae). Some butterflies, such as those belonging to the Parnassius simo group, have apparently lost the structure secondarily. The material cost of producing the sphragis is considerable. It is typically offset by production of a smaller spermatophore, thus reducing the amount of male-derived nutrients donated to the female during mating for use in oogenesis and/or somatic maintenance. The sphragis potentially represents one of the clearest examples of mate conflict known. Investigating its biology should yield testable hypotheses to further our understanding of the selective processes at play in an 'arms race' between the sexes. This paper provides an overview, which will inform future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula S Carvalho
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States.,McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611 United States
| | - Albert G Orr
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States.,McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611 United States
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10
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Hiroyoshi S, Yoshimura J, Iwabuchi K, Reddy GVP, Mitsuhashi J. Effects of pre-overwintering conditions on eupyrene and apyrene spermatogenesis after overwintering in Polygonia c-aureum (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 100:1-8. [PMID: 28457724 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sperm polymorphism is widely known in invertebrates. In insects, Lepidoptera has two types of sperm: nucleated eupyrene (fertile) sperm and anucleated apyrene (unfertile) sperm. These sperm types are produced during post-embryogenesis, and eupyrene spermatogenesis precedes apyrene spermatogenesis. During overwintering, spermatogenesis stops and a portion of undifferentiated-stage spermatocytes degenerate. After overwintering, spermatogenesis restarts with unaffected spermatogonia. However, how new spermatozoa arise in the adult testes after overwintering is not known in Lepidoptera. In this study, we investigated the spermatogenesis events in the nymphalid butterfly Polygonia c-aureum after overwintering under various environmental conditions. Our results indicate that both eupyrene and apyrene spermatogenesis restart at any stopping stage and sperm of these types are regenerated in no particular order after adult insect overwintering. This suggests that the spermatogenesis occurring after overwintering proceeds without embryogenetic restrictions related to the developmental sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Hiroyoshi
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Jin Yoshimura
- Graduate School of Science and Technology and Department of Mathematical and Systems Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561, Japan; Marine Biosystems Research Center, Chiba University, Kamogawa, Chiba 299-5502, Japan; Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
| | - Kikuo Iwabuchi
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Gadi V P Reddy
- Montana State University, Western Triangle Ag Research Center, 9546 Old Shelby Rd., P. O. Box 656, Conrad, MT 59425, USA.
| | - Jun Mitsuhashi
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
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11
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Gottardo M, Dallai R, Mercati D, Hörnschemeyer T, Beutel RG. The evolution of insect sperm − an unusual character system in a megadiverse group. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gottardo
- Department of Life Sciences; Università degli Studi di Siena; Siena Italy
| | - Romano Dallai
- Department of Life Sciences; Università degli Studi di Siena; Siena Italy
| | - David Mercati
- Department of Life Sciences; Università degli Studi di Siena; Siena Italy
| | | | - Rolf Georg Beutel
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum; Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena; Jena Germany
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12
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Dallai R, Gottardo M, Beutel RG. Structure and Evolution of Insect Sperm: New Interpretations in the Age of Phylogenomics. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 61:1-23. [PMID: 26982436 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-010715-023555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This comprehensive review of the structure of sperm in all orders of insects evaluates phylogenetic implications, with the background of a phylogeny based on transcriptomes. Sperm characters strongly support several major branches of the phylogeny of insects-for instance, Cercophora, Dicondylia, and Psocodea-and also different infraordinal groups. Some closely related taxa, such as Trichoptera and Lepidoptera (Amphiesmenoptera), differ greatly in sperm structure. Sperm characters are very conservative in some groups (Heteroptera, Odonata) but highly variable in others, including Zoraptera, a small and morphologically uniform group with a tremendously accelerated rate of sperm evolution. Unusual patterns such as sperm dimorphism, the formation of bundles, or aflagellate and immotile sperm have evolved independently in several groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romano Dallai
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Siena, I-53100 Siena, Italy; ,
| | - Marco Gottardo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Siena, I-53100 Siena, Italy; ,
| | - Rolf Georg Beutel
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany;
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Whittington E, Zhao Q, Borziak K, Walters JR, Dorus S. Characterisation of the Manduca sexta sperm proteome: Genetic novelty underlying sperm composition in Lepidoptera. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 62:183-193. [PMID: 25731083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The application of mass spectrometry based proteomics to sperm biology has greatly accelerated progress in understanding the molecular composition and function of spermatozoa. To date, these approaches have been largely restricted to model organisms, all of which produce a single sperm morph capable of oocyte fertilisation. Here we apply high-throughput mass spectrometry proteomic analysis to characterise sperm composition in Manduca sexta, the tobacco hornworm moth, which produce heteromorphic sperm, including one fertilisation competent (eupyrene) and one incompetent (apyrene) sperm type. This resulted in the high confidence identification of 896 proteins from a co-mixed sample of both sperm types, of which 167 are encoded by genes with strict one-to-one orthology in Drosophila melanogaster. Importantly, over half (55.1%) of these orthologous proteins have previously been identified in the D. melanogaster sperm proteome and exhibit significant conservation in quantitative protein abundance in sperm between the two species. Despite the complex nature of gene expression across spermatogenic stages, a significant correlation was also observed between sperm protein abundance and testis gene expression. Lepidopteran-specific sperm proteins (e.g., proteins with no homology to proteins in non-Lepidopteran taxa) were present in significantly greater abundance on average than those with homology outside the Lepidoptera. Given the disproportionate production of apyrene sperm (96% of all mature sperm in Manduca) relative to eupyrene sperm, these evolutionarily novel and highly abundant proteins are candidates for possessing apyrene-specific functions. Lastly, comparative genomic analyses of testis-expressed, ovary-expressed and sperm genes identified a concentration of novel sperm proteins shared amongst Lepidoptera of potential relevance to the evolutionary origin of heteromorphic spermatogenesis. As the first published Lepidopteran sperm proteome, this whole-cell proteomic characterisation will facilitate future evolutionary genetic and developmental studies of heteromorphic sperm production and parasperm function. Furthermore, the analyses presented here provide useful annotation information regarding sex-biased gene expression, novel Lepidopteran genes and gene function in the male gamete to complement the newly sequenced and annotated Manduca genome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qian Zhao
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Kirill Borziak
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - James R Walters
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Kansas University, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Steve Dorus
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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Dallai R. Overview on spermatogenesis and sperm structure of Hexapoda. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2014; 43:257-290. [PMID: 24732045 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The main characteristics of the sperm structure of Hexapoda are reported in the review. Data are dealing with the process of spermatogenesis, including the aberrant models giving rise to a reduced number of sperm cells. The sperm heteromorphism and the giant sperm exceeding the usual sperm size for length and width are considered. The characteristics of several components of a typical insect sperm are described: the plasma membrane and its glycocalyx, the nucleus, the centriole region and the centriole adjunct, the accessory bodies, the mitochondrial derivatives and the flagellar axoneme. Finally, a detailed description of the main sperm features of each hexapodan group is given with emphasis on the flagellar components considered to have great importance in phylogenetic considerations. This study may be also useful to those requiring an introduction to hexapod reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romano Dallai
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy.
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Dupont ST. Chambered cuticle, pellicles, strange sensilla, and extraordinary muscle arrangements: A study of the micropterigid larval trunk (Lepidoptera: Micropterigidae). J Morphol 2014; 275:797-821. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Revised: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steen T.K. Dupont
- Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Universitetsparken 15 DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Denmark
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Higginson DM, Pitnick S. Evolution of intra-ejaculate sperm interactions: do sperm cooperate? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2010; 86:249-70. [PMID: 20608927 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00147.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dawn M Higginson
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, New York 13244, USA.
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Alves L, Mancini K, Lino-Neto J, Dolder H. Morphology of the male reproductive system and sperm ultrastructure of Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2006.00226.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Dallai R, Lupetti P, Mencarelli C. Unusual Axonemes of Hexapod Spermatozoa. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 2006; 254:45-99. [PMID: 17147997 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(06)54002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hexapod spermatozoa exhibit a great variation in their axoneme structure. The 9+2 pattern organization is present in a few basal taxa and in some derived groups. In most hexapods, a crown of nine accessory microtubules surrounds the 9+2 array, giving rise to the so-called 9+9+2 pattern. This general organization, however, displays a number of modifications in several taxa. In this review, the main variations concerning the number and localization of the accessory tubules, microtubular doublets, central microtubules, dynein arms, and axonemal length are summarized. We discuss the phylogenetic significance of all this structural information as well as the current hypotheses relating the sperm size and sperm polymorphism with reproductive success of some hexapod species. Also described are the biochemical data and the motility patterns which are currently known on some peculiar aberrant axonemes, in light of the contribution these models may give to the comprehension of the general functioning of the conventional 9+2 axoneme. Finally, we summarize methodological developments for the study of axoneme ultrastructure and the new opportunities for the molecular analysis of hexapod axonemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romano Dallai
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Siena, Via A Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
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MANCINI KARINA, DOLDER HEIDI. Sperm morphology and arrangement along the male reproductive tract of the butterflyEuptoieta hegesia(Insecta: Lepidoptera). INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 2003. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.2003.9652561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Abstract
Production of more than one morphological type of sperm in a common testis has been documented for a variety of invertebrates, including gastropods, spiders, centipedes, and insects. This unusual phenomenon is difficult to explain by current theory, particularly since available evidence indicates that one sperm type is often incapable of effecting fertilization. In this review we critically examine evidence on the distribution and development of sperm heteromorphisms among insects in light of competing hypotheses for the evolutionary origin, maintenance, and function of a non-fertilizing class of sperm. To date, no single hypothesis, including alternatives which assume non-fertilizing sperm are non-adaptive, or that they provision, facilitate, or compete with fertilizing sperm, has received strong empirical support by any group of insects. The diversity of sperm heteromorphisms suggests that non-fertilizing sperm may have different functions in different clades or even serve multiple functions within a clade. We suggest that insight could be gained from (1) new models for the evolution of sperm polymorphism, (2) comparative studies that focus on multiple traits simultaneously (e.g. sperm number, proportion, length, and remating rate) and utilize clades in which more than one gain or loss of sperm heteromorphism has been documented (e.g. Pentatomidae, Carabidae, or Diopsidae), and (3) experimental studies that exploit individual variation or directly manipulate the composition of the male ejaculate.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Swallow
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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Mancini K, Dolder H. Ultrastructure of apyrene and eupyrene spermatozoa from the seminal vesicle of Euptoieta hegesia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Tissue Cell 2001; 33:301-8. [PMID: 11469545 DOI: 10.1054/tice.2001.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The ultrastructure of the seminal vesicle's spermatozoa of the butterfly Euptoieta hegesia was analyzed. The apyrene spermatozoa measure about 300 microm in length and swim freely in a secretion. The anterior end consists in a cap with a cylindrical extension and a globular structure. The flagellum has a 9+9+2 axoneme, two mitochondrial derivatives with paracrystalline matrices and an external coat formed by concentric layers. The eupyrene spermatozoa measure about 550 microm in length and are grouped into bundles. The anterior end consists in an amorphous globule. Posterior to this globule, a coat with a dense material covers the spermatozoon where an acrosome and a nucleus appear. The flagellum has a 9+9+2 axoneme and two mitochondrial derivatives. External to the coat and attached to the dense material, there is a reticular appendage, which has a paracrystalline core and extends to the distal tip of the spermatozoon.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Mancini
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas--Unicamp, Brazil
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Kinetic organization of metaphase I bivalents in spermatogenesis of Lepidoptera and Trichoptera species with small chromosome numbers. Heredity (Edinb) 1997. [DOI: 10.1038/hdy.1997.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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WOLF KLAUSWERNER. Centrosome structure is very similar in eupyrene and apyrene spermatocytes ofEphestia kuehniella(Pyralidae, Lepidoptera, Insecta). INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 1997. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.1997.9672561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Hamon C, Chauvin G. Ultrastructural analysis of spermatozoa of Korscheltell us lupulinus L. (Lepidoptera : Hepialidae) and Micropterix calthella L. (Lepidoptera : Micropterigidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1992. [DOI: 10.1016/0020-7322(92)90013-d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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