Ultrastructural study during feeding and mating on the genital system in female tick hyalomma (hyalomma)‎ anatolicum anatolicum (Ixodoidea : Ixodidae)‎

Abstract EN

The fine structure of genital system in the female Hyalomma (Hyalomma) anatolicum is described during feeding and mating.

Feeding initiates oocytes growth through the previtellogenic.

Oogenesis is induced by feeding.

Growing oocytes secreate dense granules into the cytoplasm and form surface microvilli.

The cytoplasm has associated dense vesicles, Golgi bodies, rough endoplasmic reticulum and multivesicular bodies.

The vagina, consisting of vestibular (VV) and cervical (CV) regions, is formed of an epithelium lined internally with a folded cuticular layer and surrounded externally by muscle layers.

These facilitate the passage of endospermatophres containing sperms into the receptaculum seminis (RS), and ova to the exterior.

A pair of tubular accessory glands (AG) opening at the junction of VV and CV consist of an epithelial layer of undifferentiated cells.

As feeding progresses, these cells synthesise their granular secretion that functions to lubricate the egg surface during its passage through VV.

The receptaculum seminis consists of cuboidal cells lined with a cuticular layer.

These cells appear rich with glycogen and lipid vacuoles, may act as source of energy required for various cell activities including granule synthesis and exocytosis.

The granules discharge their contents into intercellular spaces distributed throughout the wall of the receptaculum seminis, and communicate with the main lumen via narrow channels.

No secretory activity has been observed during and after feeding in the connecting tube.

At and during final stage of feeding, the cell cytoplasm contains large, phagosomal vacuoles penetrated by sperms, in addition to micropinocytotic vesicles which serve to break down the seminal fluid and other material.

The oviducal secretion may function as a tanning agent to harden the egg shell and also probably act as a lubricant at the state of egg passage.

In addition, the basal membrane is infolded giving characteristic features of epithelia involved in ion water transport.