Digestive and regenerative cells in the midgut of haploid and diploid males of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

In eusocial bees, workers and queens are diploid (2n), whereas males are haploid (n). However, in some species, including the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier, 1836, 2n males arise from fertilized eggs resulting from the crossing between a queen and her brother. In the present study, we provide a comparative analysis of the digestive and regenerative cells in n and 2n pupae and adult males of M. quadrifasciata anthidioides. In n and 2n pupae and adult males, the number of regenerative cells/nest was similar. In n and 2n pupae, the mean number of digestive cells/midgut area was 2076 ± 0.60, whereas in adults it was 1234 ± 1.42 digestive cells/midgut area. The nuclear area of the digestive cells was also similar in both n and 2n adult males (~154 µm²) and smaller in pupae (~91 µm²); this variation might be a result of DNA amplification in digestive cells during bee development. The results from our current study provide further understanding of the morphological and physiological aspects of the digestive tract of bees and show that the ploidy difference between n and 2n male stages does not affect the number of digestive and regenerative cells in the midgut of M. quadrifasciata anthidioides

Schinus terebinthifolius Leaf Extract Causes Midgut Damage, Interfering with Survival and Development of Aedes aegypti Larvae

“…The midguts were mounted on slides using Mowiol antifading solution (Sigma-Aldrich, MO, USA) and analyzed in an epifluorescence microscope Olympus BX-60 coupled to the capture system Olympus Q-Color 3 (Olympus America, Inc., NY, USA). Six areas of each region (anterior and posterior) of the midgut were randomly photographed with a 40× objective lens (total area = 0.414 mm 2 ) [ 38 ]. The number of digestive cells (larger nuclei and present at the apical region of digestive epithelium) and regenerative cells (small nuclei and found at the basal region of epithelium) in the midgut were counted as described elsewhere [ 19 ], [ 20 ].…”

A Histopathological Study to Evaluate Lactic Acid Bacterial Effects within Honeybee Larval Guts as a Control Agent of American Foulbrood Disease; In vitro.

“…3. Regenerative cells that play a role in the renewal of digestive and endocrine cells (Fernandes et al 2012;Cruz et al 2013). P. l. larvae spores germinate in the larval midgut about 12 h postinfection.…”

Epithelial remodelling of the midgut in the post-embryonic development of Partamona helleri (Apidae, Meliponini)

“…Research carried out with the purpose of understanding the remodelling of intestinal epithelium of stingless bees during metamorphosis used the species Melipona quadrifasciata as a model (Cruz-Landim and Mello 1970;Neves et al 2002Neves et al , 2003aCruz-Landim and Cavalcante 2003;Martins et al 2006;Fernandes et al 2010;Cruz et al 2011Cruz et al , 2013. The remodelling of the midgut epithelium of M. quadrifasciata involves the proliferation of regenerative cells and the expansion of these cells during cell differentiation.…”