CELLULAR DEVELOPMENT AND HISTOCHEMICAL ASPECTS OF THE NASSANOFF GLANDS UNDER JUVENILE HORMONE ACTION

The Nassanoff glands are responsible for synthesis of species-specific pheromones, and secretory substances responsible for the colony scent. In the present work the Nassanoff glands of 12 and 25 day-old Apis mellifera workers were treated with juvenile hormone (JH) just after emerging, were studied through morphometric and histological analyses and compared to those of non-treated workers. The results showed that although JH administration caused an acceleration of worker maturation, it failed to affect the developmental pattern of the Nassanoff glands, showing that the period of administration of the JH is inappropriate to cause any influence to this pattern. Keywords: Apis mellifera, histology, juvenile hormone, morphometry, Nassanoff glands

Histological and morphometric comparisons of worker and queen mandibular glands of Melipona bicolor bicolor (Hymenoptera, Meliponini)

In the present investigation we analyzed both histology and area of secretory cells from workers, virgin and physogastric queen mandibular glands of Melipona bicolor bicolor Lepeletier. The histological differences observed include the number of vacuoles present in the cell cytoplasm and the quantity and distribution of the secretion. The morphometry results demonstrated the occurrence of significative differences in the cell area values that were related to the secretory cell activity level, which is higher in the physogastric queens. Worker and queen glands have histological patterns quite similar, but the morphometric data indicated cast-specific differences, as well as differences between the queens, which were related to the posture activity

Juvenile hormone promotes changes in the expression of hypopharyngeal gland proteins of worker Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The present investigation compares the protein electrophoreses profiles of the hypopharyngeal glands of 12 and 25 day old Apis mellifera workers, some of which were experimentally treated with an analogue of juvenile hormone in the moment of the emergence while others were not treated. According to the evaluation of the presented variations by four main bands, it is concluded that the analogue juvenile hormone changes the glandular genetic expression pattern, promoting the disappearance of two from the four main bands in 25 day old workers. The effect of this hormone is discussed as an hypopharyngeal maturation inductor, in synergetic action with the bee age acting early in the glandular cycle

Degenerative Structures in the Hypopharyngeal Gland from Aging Bees (Melipona Quadrifasciata Anthidioides Lep.)

The hypoparyngeal gland of the honeybee workers produces a secret ion known as royal jelly, which is fed to the queen and its brood . In summer bees the secret ion begins 5 or 6 days after the adult emergence and continues through about a dozen days, after which the hypopharyngeal glands degenerate (KRATKY, 1931). In the stingless bee, Melipona quadrifasciata, the same glandular behavior was seen (CRUZ-LANDIM, 1967a). In pioneering reports on honeybee aging, HAYDAK (1957) covered a wide range of organs whose decline he described . About the hypopharyngeal gland he found that when in degenerative process they acquire, a yellowish color. This appearance seems to be due to an accumulation of waste products inside de cytoplasm of the gland cells, but nevertheless, the mechanism of this deterioration remains unknown. Several papers dealing with degenerative changes in tissues describe alterations in the general morphology of the cells components and their relationships. Membranous concentric arrays were verified in several cells of aged tissues, as well as in pathological degeneration (GABE and ARVEY, 1961; CRUZ-LANDIM, 1967b; KUROSUMI and alli, 1962; FARQUHAR and RINEHART, 1954; ENDERS e LYONS, 1964; SCHAFFNER and FELIG, 1965; MONTENEGRO and alli, 1968). An age dependent degeneration of mitochondria that is characterized by morphological and biochemical alterations was detected by SACKTOR e SHIMADA (1972) in Phormia regina flight muscle. The myelin like concentric systems seen in degenerative process may in some cases originate in connection with the mitochondria but, more frequently are related with the lysosomes (DE DUVE, 1963). These structures have received several denominations as: parasomes (FORBES, 1964) and cytolysomes (SMITH, 1969). The cytolysomes are, in general, structures of bigger sizes than the parasomes. In certain cases pigments are associated to these structures as the lipofuscin that appears in aged neurons

Electrophoretical Protein Profile in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera; Apidae) Hypopharyngeal Glands under Juvenile Hormone Effect When the Colony is Grown in the Absence of Brood

Twelve-day-old and 25-day-old Apis mellifera workers were treated or not treated with juvenile hormone at the moment of emergence and reared in the colony without brood. Having the brood interference apart, the hormone effect on the hypopharyngeal glands protein expression was determined through the electrophoretical protein profiles of the both groups of bees. In those conditions, the hormone induced changes that were different from the control. Protein bands of 66 and 48 kDa were intensified in the 12-day-old bees, whereas band of 42 kDa was reduced in the 25-day-old bees. That indicated a different effect of the juvenile hormone in the function of bee aging, which promoted a glandular protein activation in the young bees and, in contrast, an inhibitory action in the 25-day-old bees workers

Ultramorphology and histology of the venom gland of workers of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae) before and after an electrical shock treatment

This paper describes the ultramorphology and histology of the venom reservoir in 14-day old workers of Apis mellifera, immediately before and after the application of electrical shocks with the object of causing venom elimination and reservoir collapse. The external epithelial surface of the reservoir was differentiated according to its morphological aspects into posterior, median, and proximal or duct regions at the ventral surface and into anterior and posterior regions at the dorsal surface. While the epithelium of the proximal region forms a ventral infolding, a dorsal salience is formed at this region. These structures and the epithelial regions persist both in full and empty reservoirs. The reservoir appeared full and distended before the electrical shocks were applied and became empty and withered afterwards due to the elimination of the secretion, without any reductions in length. Nevertheless, some secretion was kept inside the lumen, thus suggesting a possible role for the reservoir in the modification of the secretion

Note on glands present in meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) bees legs

The present paper reports the presence of glandular structures in legs of some stingless bee species. The glands appear as: the epidermis transformation in a glandular epithelium as in basitarsus, an epithelial sac inside the segment as in the femur of queens or in the last tarsomere, as round glandular cells, scattered or forming groupments. The saculiform gland of femur is present only in queens, the other glands are present in males, queens and workers of the studied species, apparently without any type of polymorphism. This occurrence seems indicate that the function of these glands have not to do with the sociality or specific behavior of castes

Aspectos da ultra-estrutura dos cecos gástricos da larva de Odontosciara sp. (Diptera: Sciaridae)

<abstract language="eng">Ultrastructural features of the gastric caeca of Odontosciara sp. are reported. The species has 4 lateral caeca connected with the anterior midgut at the level of the foregut junction. The epithelial cell features indicate protein synthesis, digested material absorption from the lumen and haemolymph material absorption. Those functions, however, do not seem to be very intense