An Electron Microscopic Study of Glycogen and Lipid in Female Meloidogyne incognita (Root-Knot Nematode)

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology 1974-12, Vol.60 (6), p.1013-1021
• Main Authors: Dropkin, Victor H., Acedo, Juanito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cytoplasmic Granules - ultrastructure; Female; Female animals; Glycogen; Glycogen - analysis; Golgi Apparatus; Histocytochemistry; Hypodermis; Intestines; Intestines - ultrastructure; Larval development; Lipids; Lipids - analysis; Microscopy, Electron; Nematoda - analysis; Nematoda - growth & development; Nematoda - ultrastructure; Nematode eggs; Nematode larvae; Nematodes; Ovum - ultrastructure; Plant parasitic nematodes; Plants - parasitology
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.2307/3278539

Changes in glycogen and lipid throughout the life cycle were observed by electron microscopy of female Meloidogyne incognita. Infective larvae had massive deposits of lipid in the intestine and smaller amounts of lipid in the hypodermis together with some β-glycogen. Two or 3 days after invasion of roots α-glycogen began to appear and lipid to decline. Both hypodermis and intestine continued to accumulate extensive deposits of α-glycogen during growth of 2nd-stage larvae while the massive lipid of the intestine was replaced by large vacuoles with remnants of membranes. Just prior to the 3 molts, which occur in rapid succession, hypodermal glycogen was mobilized. Immediately following the molts lipid accumulated throughout the adult female. Eggs contained large quantities of lipid together with β-glycogen. In the premolt period, lipid declines and glycogen accumulates; at molting, glycogen declines, and during postmolt adult growth, lipid accumulates, but not glycogen. The micrographs suggest that lipid is converted to glycogen in young parasitic larvae.