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Electron microscopic studies on the neurosecretory system in lepidoptera

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Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und Mikroskopische Anatomie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

  1. 1.

    Electron microscopic studies of the neurosecretory system in the lepidopterous insects, Bombyx mori and Philosamia cynthia ricini, were performed in the mature larvae.

  2. 2.

    The perikaryon of the neurosecretory cell in the pars intercerebralis contains characteristic granules in addition to the common features of the nerve cells. These granules are fine, spherical or ellipsoidal and relatively uniform in electron density. Each one is about 600–3600 Å in diameter (1200 Å on the average) in Bombyx and about 1000–3200 Å (1800 Å on the average) in Philosamia. These granules are referred to as the elementary granules.

  3. 3.

    When the neurosecretory cell is rather poor in elementary granules, there occur, as a rule, numerous well differentiated, rough surfaced cytomembranes.

  4. 4.

    The elementary granules are produced in close relation to the mitochondria in the Golgi zone. The endoplasmic reticulum with RNA granules seems also concerned with the formation of the neurosecretory material.

  5. 5.

    The neurosecretory cells are enveloped by processes of neuroglial cells, and between the processes there exist many branched canaliculi of varying sizes. Some of these canaliculi make contact with the plasma membrane of the neurosecretory cell.

  6. 6.

    The release of the neurosecretory material from the perikaryon may take place into these canaliculi and from there into the blood sinus. But there is also indication that the elementary granules are transported via axon into the corpora allata and stored in them. The nerve terminals in the corpus allatum form bulbous dilatations in which elementary granules and empty vesicles are abundant. In the light of our experimental results, it is likely that the neurosecretory material is discharged from the terminals into the body fluid, although the actual discharge of the material could not be demonstrated in electron micrographs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoological Institute of the University of Kyoto, Japan

    J. Nishiitsutsuji-Uwo

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  1. J. Nishiitsutsuji-Uwo
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The author wishes to express her cordial thank to Prof. Dr. M. Ichikawa, under whose supervision the present investigation was performed. She is also indebted to Prof. Dr. Y. Sano of the Anatomical Institute, Kyoto Prefectural Medical College, for his valuable criticism of the electron micrographs.

Thanks are also due to Prof. Dr. G. Yasuzumi and other members of the Electron Microscope Research Laboratory, Nara Medical College, as well as to the members of the Electron Microscope Laboratory of Keio-University, for their technical assistance in taking the micrographs.

And last but not least, she wishes to acknowledge her indebtedness to Prof. Dr. M. Shigenaga of the Nara Women's University and to Prof. Dr. N. Shinke of the University of Kyoto for their kind aid in the preparation of the electron microscopic sections.

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Nishiitsutsuji-Uwo, J. Electron microscopic studies on the neurosecretory system in lepidoptera. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 54, 613–630 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00338914

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00338914

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