A comparative ultrastructural analysis of spermatozoa in Pleurodema (Anura, Leptodactylidae, Leiuperinae)

CRUZ, J.C.; FERRARO, D.P.; FARÍAS, A.; SANTOS, J. S.; RECCO-PIMENTEL, S.M.; FAIVOVICH, J.; HERMIDA, G. N.

JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2016 vol. 277 p. 957 - 977

0362-2525

This study describes the spermatozoa of10 of the 15 species of the Neotropical frog genus Pleurodemathrough transmission electron microscopy. Thediversity of oviposition modes coupled with a recentphylogenetic hypothesis of Pleurodema makes it aninteresting group for the study of ultrastructural spermevolution in relation to fertilization environment andegg-clutch structure. We found that Pleurodema has anunusual variability in sperm morphology. The morevariable structures were the acrosomal complex, themidpiece, and the tail. The acrosomal complex has allthe structures commonly reported in hyloid frogs butwith different degree of development of the subacrosomalcone. Regarding the midpiece, the variability isgiven by the presence or absence of the mitochondrialcollar. Finally, the tail is the most variable structure,ranging from single (only axoneme) to more complex(presence of paraxonemal rod, cytoplasmic sheath, andundulating membrane), with the absence of the typicalaxial fiber present in hyloid frogs, also shared withsome other genera of Leiuperinae.