Digestion of Spermatophore Contents in the Female Genital System of the Hermaphroditic Flatworm Dugesia gonocephala (Tricladida, Paludicola)

In Dugesia gonocephala, unlike other planarians, the cells of the copulatory bursa fulfill both a secretory and phagocytic function. Enzymes are synthesized in the absence of a spermatophore and are secreted into the lumen of the bursa when a spermatophore is received from a partner. During the days...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Invertebrate biology 1997-01, Vol.116 (4), p.286-293
Main Authors: Vreys, Carla, Steffanie, Natascha, Gevaerts, Hugo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dugesia gonocephala
Epithelial cells
Female animals
Flatworms
Follicles
Freshwater
Phagocytes
Phagosomes
Secretion
Spermatophores
Spermatozoa
Tricladida
Vacuoles
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Summary:In Dugesia gonocephala, unlike other planarians, the cells of the copulatory bursa fulfill both a secretory and phagocytic function. Enzymes are synthesized in the absence of a spermatophore and are secreted into the lumen of the bursa when a spermatophore is received from a partner. During the days following copulation, seminal material is engulfed by the cells through cytoplasmic protrusions that extend into the lumen of the bursa. This material disintegrates and, as a result, the cells are filled with phagosomes of different sizes 3-4 days after copulation. Sperm cells are also digested in phagocytic cells that line the proximal side of the vitellarian follicles. Upon arrival in the lumen of the sperm receptacles, sperms penetrate the surrounding epithelial cells.
ISSN:1077-8306
1744-7410
DOI:10.2307/3226860