CYTOLOGY OF SPERMATOGENESIS IN THE HONEY‐BEE, APIS INDICA (F.)

Abstract

~T E S XCVIII-C AND THBEE TEXT-FIQWES SYNOPSISThe spermatogenesis of the honey-bee, Apia indiea (F.), has been worked out with special referenceThe haploid number of sixteen chromosomes in the parthenogenetic malea remains constant throughMeiosis I is abortive, resulting in the formation of a definite non-nucleated cytoplasmic bud containingThe significance of an extra-and an intra-nuclear spindle in relation to the abortive meiosisisdisouased. Meiosis I1 is normal 80 far aa the nuclear division is concerned. The cytoplaam, however, dividea unequally, resulting in the formation of a normal spermatid and a diminutive non-functional spermatidThe mitochondria are in the form of 6lamenta and granules in the early stagea. During meiosis I they assume a characteristic "blebbed" appearance. In the spermatid they fuse to form a typical mitochondrisl nebenkern, which ultimately givea rise to the mihhondrial sheath around the axial filament of the sperm.A number of typical duplex spheroids ("Golgi dictyosomes"), each with a lipid sheath enclosing a non-lipid medulla, are present in the epermatocytes. In the spermatid these duplex spheroids fuse to form a typical single acroblast which is sloughed off a%r depositing a pro-ecrosome at the nuclear membrane. The pro-acrosome condenses to form the acmsome of the ripe sperm.to the abortive meiosis and the role of cytoplasmic organellea. out spermatogenesis. some extra-nuclear spindle fibres and the cytoplasmic body. M Y . IKTRODUCTIONEXCEPT for the recent brief reviews, cytological information on Hymenoptera in general and the honey-bee in particular is scanty. Almost all the previous workers on the honeybee (viz.: Meves, 1904(viz.: Meves, , 1907Mark & Copeland, 1907; Doncaster, 1907; Nachtsheim, 1913 ; Sanderson & Hall, 1948 ; Hachinohe & Onishi, 1952 ; and others) have shown that the number of chromosomes in the drone remains sixteen in all the stages of meiosis. According to the recent work by Manning (1949Manning ( , 195oa-c, 1952, however, this is not so. Manning believes that in meiosis I1 one of the chromosomes is not included in the spermatid, with the result that sperms with only fifteen chromosomes are produced. But Sanderson and Hall (1951), Ruttner and Mackensen (1952), and Ken and Laidlaw (1956) do not agree with Manning.Similarly Walker (1949), and Smith and Peacock (1957) have challenged the views of previous workers regarding the clumping of the metaphase I chromosomes and the formation and nature of the cytoplasmic bud during the abortive meiosis I.

Cytological Studies in Hymenoptera. III. Cytology of Parthenogenesis in the Formicid Ant,Camponotus Compressus

“…The present cytological findings on the common Indian formicid ant, Camponotus compressus, are in continuation of the the author's earlier work on the cytology of the honey-bees, Apis indica (SHARMA et al, 1961) and A. dorsata (KuMBKARNI 1964), and the carpenter-bee, Xylocopa fenesterata (KuMBKARNI 1965a).…”

“…However, the existence of this clumping, as a persistent and genuine feature, has been confirmed by studying the living cells also under the phase-contrast microscope during present investigations and in Apis indica (SHARMA, GuPTA and KuMBKARNI 1961). The chromosomes mostly lose all visible individual identity.…”

Studies on gametogenesis in Gyrinicola batrachiensis (Walton, 1929) (Oxyuroidea: Nematoda)

“…The second division is mitotic and results in two functional sperm. In bees, the second meiotic division is unequal and results in a functional sperm and a nonfunctional cell which degenerates (Sharma et al 1961). In haplodiploid scolytids (Coleoptera) there are two mitotic divisions in spermatocytes (White 1973).…”

The boule gene is essential for spermatogenesis of haploid insect male

“…However, the maturation division during spermatogenesis is altered in haploid males. Ultrastructural and cytological observations of spermatogenesis in bees and wasps indicated that the reductional division in meiosis I is aborted, but the equational division (meiosis II) is maintained to produce haploid sperm (Sharma et al, 1961;Hoage and Kessel, 1968;Hogge and King, 1975;Cruz-Landim et al, 1980). Recent progress in genome analysis has revealed the presence of meiosis-related genes in hymenopterans and other arthropods (Schurko et al, 2009;Schurko et al, 2010;The Honeybee Genome Sequencing Consortium, 2006;Werren et al, 2010).…”