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Intraepithelial plasma cells in the avian copulatory organ of two tinamou species: quantitative variation during the breeding season

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Abstract

A recent observation concerning the phallus of the tinamou Nothura maculosa was the presence of cells resembling plasma cells within the epithelium of the fixed tubular portion. Owing to this unusual location of plasma cells, we studied the phalli of the tinamous N. maculosa and Rhynchotus rufescens to confirm the occurrence of intraepithelial plasma cells and to evaluate the seasonal variation in these cells. Abundant plasma cells were found within the epithelium of the fixed tubular portion of the phallus but not in the evertible portion. Migration of plasma cells from the adjacent connective tissue through the basement membrane and between the epithelial cells was frequent. Some plasma cells exhibited a rough endoplasmic reticulum with variable cisternal distension, containing fine, slightly electron-dense, granular material suggestive of immunoglobulin accumulation. An expressive increase of more than 800% in the number of intraepithelial plasma cells was found during the breeding season compared to the non-breeding season. By establishing the occurrence of intraepithelial plasma cells in the phallus and their seasonal variation, the results contribute to a better understanding of the role of these cells in the mucosal immune system of the reproductive tract of male birds.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (PRPq-UFMG). The authors wish to thank Dr. Greg Kitten for revision of the manuscript and valuable suggestions and the Center of Electron Microscopy (CEMEL) of the UFMG for technical support.

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  1. Departamento de Morfologia do Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Cx. Postal 486, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Cleida Aparecida Oliveira, Irina Geraldo, Pablo César Pezoa Poblete, Grazielle Franco Macedo & Germán Arturo Bohórquez Mahecha

  2. Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil

    Cleida Aparecida Oliveira

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  1. Cleida Aparecida Oliveira
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  2. Irina Geraldo
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  3. Pablo César Pezoa Poblete
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  5. Germán Arturo Bohórquez Mahecha
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Correspondence to Cleida Aparecida Oliveira.

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Oliveira, C.A., Geraldo, I., Poblete, P.C.P. et al. Intraepithelial plasma cells in the avian copulatory organ of two tinamou species: quantitative variation during the breeding season. Anat Embryol 207, 409–416 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-003-0358-x

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