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Ultrastructural and cytochemical studies on the germarium of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Plathelminthes, Digenea)

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Summary

The unpaired germarium of Dicrocoelium dendriticum contains many female germ cells at different stages of maturation and is enveloped by a fibrous basal lamina-like structure and a multilayered cytoplasmic sheath whose origins and functions are discussed. The maturation process of primary oocytes occurs completely within the prophase of the first meiotic division. It has been divided into three stages, as previously suggested for monogeneans. Stage I corresponds to oogonia and early oocytes which are located in the distal germinative area of the gonad. These cells are characterized by a high nucleo/cytoplasmic ratio and a poorly differentiated cytoplasm. Stage II corresponds to maturing oocytes grouped in the central area of the gonad and exhibiting long synaptonemal complexes and a prominent nucleolus. The main feature of cytoplasmic differentiation is the increase in the number of RER and Golgi complex which are involved in the production of small electron-dense granules. Stage III corresponds to mature oocytes located in the proximal area of the germarium near the origin of the oviduct. In this stage, the granules become regularly distributed in a monolayer in the peripheral ooplasm and make contact with the oolemma. They show a distinctive complex structure, are composed of proteins and glycoproteins and do not contain polyphenols. Their possible role as cortical granules is discussed in relation to chemical composition and previous studies on other Plathelminthes. Neither yolk globules nor glycogen are present in the oocytes.

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Abbreviations

I :

oogonium and early oocyte

II :

growing oocyte

III :

mature oocyte

cg :

cortical granule

cs :

cytoplasmic sheath

db :

dense body

ecm :

extra cellular matrix

ER :

endoplasmic reticulum

fl :

fibrous extracellular layer

gc :

Golgi complex

m :

mitochondria

N :

nucleus

nu :

nucleolus

RER :

rough endoplasmic reticulum

sc :

synaptonemal complex

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Author notes

  1. Blanca Cifrian & Susana Martinez-Alos

    Present address: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidad de Alcalà de Henares, 28871 Alcalà de Henares, Madrid, Espana

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale, Infettiva e Pubblica, Sezione di Biologia e Genetica, Università di Pisa, via A. Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italia

    Blanca Cifrian, Susana Martinez-Alos & Vittorio Gremigni

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  1. Blanca Cifrian
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  2. Susana Martinez-Alos
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  3. Vittorio Gremigni
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Cifrian, B., Martinez-Alos, S. & Gremigni, V. Ultrastructural and cytochemical studies on the germarium of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Plathelminthes, Digenea). Zoomorphology 113, 165–171 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394857

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