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Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling

Studies of female genital structures have generally lagged behind comparable studies of male genitalia, in part because of an assumption of a lower level of variability, but also because internal genitalia are much more difficult to study. Using multiple microscopy techniques, including video stereo...

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Autores principales: Cómbita-Heredia, Orlando, Gulbronson, Connor J., Ochoa, Ronald, Quintero-Gutiérrez, Edwin Javier, Bauchan, Gary, Klompen, Hans
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8372888/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34407082
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254974
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author Cómbita-Heredia, Orlando
Gulbronson, Connor J.
Ochoa, Ronald
Quintero-Gutiérrez, Edwin Javier
Bauchan, Gary
Klompen, Hans
author_facet Cómbita-Heredia, Orlando
Gulbronson, Connor J.
Ochoa, Ronald
Quintero-Gutiérrez, Edwin Javier
Bauchan, Gary
Klompen, Hans
author_sort Cómbita-Heredia, Orlando
collection PubMed
description Studies of female genital structures have generally lagged behind comparable studies of male genitalia, in part because of an assumption of a lower level of variability, but also because internal genitalia are much more difficult to study. Using multiple microscopy techniques, including video stereomicroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LT-SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) we examined whether the complex sperm transfer structures in males of Megalolaelaps colossus (Acari: Mesostigmata) are matched by similarly complex internal structures in the female. While both LT-SEM and CLSM are well suited for obtaining high-quality surface images, CLSM also proved to be a valuable technique for observing internal anatomical structures. The long and coiled sperm transfer organ on the chelicera of the males (spermatodactyl) largely matches an equally complex, but internal, spiral structure in the females in shape, size, and direction. This result strongly suggests some form of genital coevolution. A hypothesis of sexual conflict appears to provide the best fit for all available data (morphology and life history).
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spelling pubmed-83728882021-08-19 Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling Cómbita-Heredia, Orlando Gulbronson, Connor J. Ochoa, Ronald Quintero-Gutiérrez, Edwin Javier Bauchan, Gary Klompen, Hans PLoS One Research Article Studies of female genital structures have generally lagged behind comparable studies of male genitalia, in part because of an assumption of a lower level of variability, but also because internal genitalia are much more difficult to study. Using multiple microscopy techniques, including video stereomicroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LT-SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) we examined whether the complex sperm transfer structures in males of Megalolaelaps colossus (Acari: Mesostigmata) are matched by similarly complex internal structures in the female. While both LT-SEM and CLSM are well suited for obtaining high-quality surface images, CLSM also proved to be a valuable technique for observing internal anatomical structures. The long and coiled sperm transfer organ on the chelicera of the males (spermatodactyl) largely matches an equally complex, but internal, spiral structure in the females in shape, size, and direction. This result strongly suggests some form of genital coevolution. A hypothesis of sexual conflict appears to provide the best fit for all available data (morphology and life history). Public Library of Science 2021-08-18 /pmc/articles/PMC8372888/ /pubmed/34407082 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254974 Text en https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) public domain dedication.
spellingShingle Research Article
Cómbita-Heredia, Orlando
Gulbronson, Connor J.
Ochoa, Ronald
Quintero-Gutiérrez, Edwin Javier
Bauchan, Gary
Klompen, Hans
Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling
title Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling
title_full Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling
title_fullStr Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling
title_full_unstemmed Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling
title_short Size, shape, and direction matters: Matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3D modeling
title_sort size, shape, and direction matters: matching secondary genital structures in male and female mites using multiple microscopy techniques and 3d modeling
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8372888/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34407082
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254974
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