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Mitochondria and polarity in the egg ofSmittia spec. (Diptera, Chironomidae): UV irradiation, respiration measurements, ATP determination and application of inhibitors

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Summary

  1. 1)

    The development of the head end in the embryo ofSmittia is determined by cytoplasmic components in the anterior region of the egg. Experimental inactivation or removal of these determinants results in the formation of “double abdomens”. In embryos with this aberrant metameric pattern, head and anterior segments are replaced by an additional set of posterior segments joined in mirror image symmetry to the original abdomen. Several types of experiment were carried out to determine whether mitochondria act as determinants of the anterior pole in the embryo.

  2. 2)

    The following observations are compatible with a determinative rôle of mitochondria: mitochondria are more abundant in the anterior tip of theSmittia egg which responds most effectively in experiments inducing double abdomens by local UV irradiation. UV irradiation inflicts visible damage upon mitochondria in the irradiated egg region, and significantly decreases the oxygen consumption of the eggs.

  3. 3)

    The following data argue against a determinative rôle of mitochondria: photoreverting treatment after UV irradiation did not cause a significant increase of oxygen uptake. The ATP content of whole eggs and anterior egg halves was significantly increased after UV irradiation of the anterior egg quarter. Localized application of dinitrophenol and ethidium bromide via puncture of the anterior pole, as well as irradiation with intense red light after sensitization of mitochondria with Janus Green B, did not produce double abdomens.

  4. 4)

    After UV irradiation during intravitelline cleavage, photoreverting treatment can be delayed for several hours without diminishing its efficiency; the deadline for photoreversal coincides perfectly with the deadline for UV induction, i.e. with blastoderm formation. This result suggests that the effective targets are metabolically inactive from egg-laying until blastoderm-formation.

  5. 5)

    The results are considered as evidence that mitochondria and the determinants of anterior pole in theSmittia embryo are not identical despite their apparently similar cellular localization.

Zusammenfassung

  1. 1)

    In der Embryogenese vonSmittia wird die Entwicklung des Kopfendes durch cytoplasmatische Komponenten in der Vorderpolregion des Eies determiniert. Experimentelle Inaktiveirung oder Entfernung dieser Determinanten bewirkt die Entstehung des aberranten Segmentmusters “Doppelabdomen”. In diesem spiegelbildlich symmetrischen Segmentmuster sind Kopf, Thorax und vordere Abdominalsegmente durch ein zweites Abdominalende mit revertierter Polarität ersetzt. In Versuchen mit verschiedenen methodischen Ansätzen wurde geprüft, ob Mitochondrien als Determinanten des embryonalen Vorderpols fungieren.

  2. 2)

    Die folgenden Ergebnisse sind vereinbar mit der Vorstellung, daß mitochondriale Funktionen die Längsachsenpolarität imSmittia Ei determinieren: Mit größter Effizienz lassen sich Doppelabdomina durch Bestrahlung der vordersten Eiregion erzeugen; diese Region zeigt zugleich eine starke Anreicherung von Mitochondrien. Die UV-Bestrahlung verursacht sichtbare Schäden an Mitochondrien der exponierten Eiregion und eine signifikante Abnahme der Atmungsrate.

  3. 3)

    Die folgende Ergebnisse stehen im Widerspruch zur Annahme einer Determination der Längsachsenpolarität durch mitochondriale Funktionen: Photoreversion nach UV-Bestrahlung bewirkt keine signifikante Zunahme der Respirationsrate. Der ATP-Gehalt ganzer Eier und vorderer Eihälften wird durch Bestrahlung des vorderen Eiviertels signifikant erhöht. Durch Anstechen der Eier am Vorderpol und anschließende Inkubation in Dinitrophenol oder Ethidiumbromid lassen sich keine Doppelabdomina erzeugen; Bestrahlung mit intensivem Rotlicht nach Sensibilisierung mit Janus Grün B bewirkt ebenfalls keine Bildung von Doppelabdomina.

  4. 4)

    Nach UV-Bestrahlung in frühen Entwicklungsstadien kann die photorevertierende Belichtung um mehrere Stunden verzögert werden, ohne den Photoreversionseffekt signifikant zu beeinträchtigen. Die sensiblen Phasen für UV-Induktion und Photoreversionen dauern beide vollkommen übereinstimmend bis zur Blastodermbildung. Demnach scheinen die wirksamen Eikomponenten während dieser Zeit metabolisch inaktiv zu sein.

  5. 5)

    Nach diesen Ergebnissen wird es als äußerst unwahrscheinlich angesehen, daß die Vorn-Hinten-Polarität im Ei vonSmittia durch mitochondriale Funktionen determiniert wird.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biologisches Institut I (Zoologie) der Universität Freiburg, Katharinenstraße 20, D-7800, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Klaus Kalthoff, Ingrid Kandler-Singer, Otto Schmidt, Dieter Zissler & Gefion Versen

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  1. Klaus Kalthoff
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  2. Ingrid Kandler-Singer
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  3. Otto Schmidt
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  4. Dieter Zissler
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  5. Gefion Versen
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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 46.

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Kalthoff, K., Kandler-Singer, I., Schmidt, O. et al. Mitochondria and polarity in the egg ofSmittia spec. (Diptera, Chironomidae): UV irradiation, respiration measurements, ATP determination and application of inhibitors. Wilhelm Roux' Archiv 178, 99–121 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00848391

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