How do dietary diatoms cause the sex reversal of the shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hippolyte inermis</Emphasis> Leach (Crustacea,Decapoda) |
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Authors: | Valerio Zupo Patrizia Messina |
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Institution: | (1) Stazione Zoologica “A. Dohrn”. Benthic Ecology Laboratory, Punta San Pietro, Ischia, Naples, Italy |
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Abstract: | Hippolyte inermis Leach 1915 is a protandric shrimp largely distributed in Posidonia oceanica meadows and other Mediterranean seagrasses. Previous studies demonstrated several physiological peculiarities, such as absence
of female gonadic buds in adult males (the new female gonad is produced starting from few undifferentiated cells), the consequent
absence of an ovotestis, 2 yearly periods of reproduction with different population structures (a spring outburst producing
both males and primary females, and a fall reproduction producing mainly males), and a process of sex reversal influenced
by the diatom food ingested. We performed several laboratory analyses to compare the effects of various species of benthic
diatoms, in order to test the effect of different diatoms and provide information on the mechanism of action of the ingested
compounds. In addition, we performed molecular tests (TUNEL) and TEM observations, to check the hypothesis that the effect
of benthic diatoms may be mediated by a process of apoptosis acting on the male gonad. The results obtained allowed for a
ranking of a series of benthic diatoms according to their effects on sex reversal, and a confirmation of the striking effect
of Cocconeis sp. diatoms, which are able to trigger the appearance of primary females. We also demonstrated the presence of apoptosis
both in the male gonad and in the androgenic glands of postlarvae. The effect is species specific, strictly localized to the
male gonad and androgenic gland, and limited to a very short period of time, from the 5th to the 12th day of postlarval development. |
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