Folia Parasitologica 46[3] 191-198 (1999)

Ultrastructure of spermiogenesis of Phyllobothrium lactuca (Cestoda, Tetraphyllidea, Phyllobothriidae)

Aminata Sène¹, Cheikh Tidiane Bâ¹, Bernard Marchand²

¹ Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ch. A. Diop University of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal

² Laboratoire Arago, Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls, Université P. et M. Curie, (Paris 6), CNRS, B.P. 44, F-66651 Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cedex, France

Spermiogenesis in Phyllobothrium lactuca Beneden, 1850 begins with the formation of a differentiation zone bordered by cortical microtubules and containing a nucleus and two centrioles separated by an intercentriolar body and disposed one in the prolongation of the other. Later, formation of flagellar buds, striated roots and a median cytoplasmic extension takes place. Each centriole gives rise to a flagellum that rotates and fuses with the median cytoplasmic extension. At this stage, arched membranes appear at the front of the differentiation zone. The nucleus elongates, becomes filiform and migrates between the striated roots into the spermatid. After the migration of the nucleus, the old spermatid separates from the residual cytoplasm by strangulation of the ring of arched membranes. Absence of striated roots, right at the beginning of spermiogenesis has never been described before in the Tetraphyllidea. Likewise, centrioles made up of doublets of microtubules and spermatids with two axonemes have never been reported before during spermiogenesis of a Phyllobothriidae. In this work we show, for the first time, the existence in cestodes of thick-walled microtubules surrounded by a layer of electron-dense material. In addition, we describe, for the first time, the existence of an accumulation of electron-dense granules around striated roots and an hour-glass-shaped constriction at the anterior extremity of a median cytoplasmic extension in a platyhelminth.

Keywords: ultrastructure, Phyllobothrium, Cestoda, Tetraphyllidea, spermiogenesis

Received: December 1, 1998; Accepted: February 25, 1999; Published: September 1, 1999  Show citation