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Changes in the midgut cells in the European cave spider, Meta menardi, during starvation in spring and autumn

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Abstract

During the growth period, in surface habitats, spiders catch enough prey to feed normally. In contrast, in the cave entrance zone, prey may be relatively scarce. Meta menardi inhabits this cave section, resulting in temporary starvation. We studied structural changes in the midgut epithelial cells of M. menardi during a short-term and a medium-term controlled starvation to mimic the occasional starvation in caves, during spring and autumn. Digestive cells, secretory cells and adipocytes were examined before the experimental starvation, in the middle and at the end of starvation. We used light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and specific histochemical methods for the detection of lipids, polysaccharides and proteins. Detection of lysosomes, autolysosomes and apoptosis was also carried out. The general structures of the cells did not change during the experimental starvation in either season, while some specific differences in the ultrastructure were observed. In both sexes, in both seasons, the amounts of lipids, glycogen and proteins decreased during starvation. Larger amounts of lipids were found in autumn, while there were no significant differences in the amounts of glycogen and proteins. In both sexes, in both seasons, autophagy and apoptosis intensified with starvation in progress, but more intensively in females. Thus, autumn individuals, in contrast to spring ones, compile energy-supplying stores to confront the subsequent winter deficiency of prey in caves, while the cellular ultrastructures undergo the same starvation-dependant changes at any time during the growth period.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Elisabeth Bock and Rudi Schmied (Medical University Graz) for their excellent technical assistance. Michelle Gadpaille valuably improved the English of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Saška Lipovšek

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Saška Lipovšek, Tone Novak & Franc Janžekovič

  3. Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Saška Lipovšek

  4. Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstrasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Gerd Leitinger

  5. Department of Animal Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, 40-007, Katowice, Poland

    Szymon Gorgoń, Karolina Kamińska & Magdalena Rost-Roszkowska

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  1. Saška Lipovšek
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Lipovšek, S., Leitinger, G., Novak, T. et al. Changes in the midgut cells in the European cave spider, Meta menardi, during starvation in spring and autumn. Histochem Cell Biol 149, 245–260 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-017-1623-z

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