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Heteromorphism of sperm axonemes in a parasitic flatworm, progenetic Diplocotyle olrikii Krabbe, 1874 (Cestoda, Spathebothriidea)

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Abstract

The spermatozoon ultrastructure of the progenetic cestode Diplocotyle olrikii (Spathebothriidea) has been examined using transmission electron microscopy and cytochemical staining with periodic acid-thiosemicarbazide-silver proteinate (PA-TSC-SP) for glycogen. The spermatozoon is a filiform cell, tapered at both extremities. Its moderately electron-dense cytoplasm possesses two parallel axonemes of unequal lengths. New for the Cestoda is a finding of three types of the mature spermatozoa with respect to different axonemal structure. The first type has both axonemes with standard 9 + ‘1’ trepaxonematan pattern. The second type is represented by a spermatozoon having one axoneme with 9 + ‘1’ structure and the second one with 9 + 0 pattern. The third type includes the two axonemes with 9 + 0 pattern. Microtubule doublets of the 9 + 0 axonemes contain either inner dynein arms or no dynein arms. In addition to the two axonemes, all three types of the mature sperm cells contain parallel nucleus, parallel cortical microtubules, four electron-dense plaques/attachment zones, and glycogen. The anterior extremity of the gamete exhibits a centriole surrounded by a semiarc of up to five electron-dense tubular structures. The distal end of the first type spermatozoa exhibits two morphological variants, represented either by (i) nucleus or (ii) remnants of the disorganized axoneme. Distal extremity of the spermatozoa of the second and third types contains doublets and singlets of disorganized axoneme. The ultrastructural characters of the spermatozoon of progenetic D. olrikii support the basal position of the Spathebothriidea within the Eucestoda.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Grant Agency of the Slovak Republic VEGA (project no. 2/0104/16 to MB). We acknowledge the core facility of the Institute of Parasitology, BC ASCR in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, supported by the MEYS CR (LM2015062 Czech-BioImaging).This research was undertaken within the framework of a joint research projects Nos. AV ČR-16-08 and SAV-18-21 supported by a bilateral agreement on scientific exchange and cooperation signed by the Czech and Slovak Academies of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Magdaléna Bruňanská & Martina Matoušková

  2. Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Renáta Jasinská

  3. Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jana Nebesářová

  4. Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jana Nebesářová

  5. I.D. Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Yaroslavl Province, Russia

    Larisa G. Poddubnaya

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  1. Magdaléna Bruňanská
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Correspondence to Magdaléna Bruňanská.

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Bruňanská, M., Matoušková, M., Jasinská, R. et al. Heteromorphism of sperm axonemes in a parasitic flatworm, progenetic Diplocotyle olrikii Krabbe, 1874 (Cestoda, Spathebothriidea). Parasitol Res 119, 177–187 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06524-2

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