Serotonergic Innervation of the Salivary Glands and Central Nervous System of Adult Glossina pallidipes Austen (Diptera: Glossinidae), and the Impact of the Salivary Gland Hypertrophy Virus (GpSGHV) on the Host

Using a serotonin antibody and confocal microscopy, this study reports for the first time direct serotonergic innervation of the muscle sheath covering the secretory region of the salivary glands of adult tsetse fly, Glossina pallidipes Austen. Reports to date, however, note that up until this finding, dipteran species previously studied lack a muscle sheath covering of the secretory region of the salivary glands. Direct innervation of the salivary gland muscle sheath of tsetse would facilitate rapid deployment of saliva into the host, thus delaying a host response. Our results also suggest that the neuronal and abnormal pattern seen in viral infected glands by the Glossina pallidipes salivary gland hypertrophy virus (GpSGHV) is due to a compensatory increased branching of the neurons of the salivary glands, which is associated with the increased size of the salivary glands in viral infected flies. This study shows for the first time serotonin in the cell bodies of the brain and thoracico-abdominal ganglion in adult tsetse, G. pallidipes Austen (Diptera: Glossinidae). A hypothesis is proposed as to whether innervation of the muscle sheath covering of the secretory region of the salivary glands is present in brachyceran compared with nematoceran dipterans; and, a plea is made that more research is needed to develop a blood feeding model, similar to that in the blow flies, for elucidating the various mechanisms involved in production and deployment of saliva.