A New Type of Manchette Structure in Spermatids of Culex tigripes(Culicidae)

• Published in: Acta zoologica (Stockholm) Vol. 75; no. 3; pp. 187 - 190
• Main Authors: Ndiaye, Mady, Mattei, Xavier, Siau, Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Culex tigripes; Culicidae; Diptera; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Insecta; Invertebrates; Morphology. Histology. Cytology; Ultrastructure; Arthropoda; Insecta; Culicidae; Microtubule; Invertebrata; Male genital system; Diptera; Spermatid
• ISSN: 0001-7272; 1463-6395
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1994.tb01205.x

In young spermatids of Culex tigripes, microtubules organize a manchette which surrounds the nucleus. When the nucleus elongates, 1–5 expansions appear on the wall of the microtubules. They grow and branch out while the nucleus elongates and chromatin condenses. Expansions are straight or curved in shape. They have the same thickness as the microtubule walls, but they rarely constitute links between microtubules. The manchette disappears naturally at the end of spermiogenesis. The action of colchicine on spermatids leads to the complete disappearance of the microtubules and expansions, and inhibits the lengthening of the nucleus.