Ultrastructure of spermatozoa of species of jellyfish (Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, Medusozoa, Cnidaria) of the Brazilian Coast

• Grant number: 14/08785-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2014
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: André Carrara Morandini
• Grantee: Gisele Rodrigues Tiseo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/50242-5 - Dimensions of marine life: patterns and process of diversifications in planktonic and benthic cnidarians, AP.BTA.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 15/15527-0 - Ultrastructure of the sperm of jellyfishes (Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, Medusozoa, Cnidaria) from the east coast of Australia and comparison with Brazilian species, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The phylogeny among different groups of Cnidaria remains elusive, since there is no agreement on what are the relationships between the different classes and orders that compose the phylum. The spermiotaxonomy has been used as criteria in different phylogenetic groups of Metazoa. To Cnidaria are few studies describing the morphology of sperm in light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Thus, this project aims to describe the general morphology and ultrastructure of spermatozoa of the Rhizostomeae Lychnorhiza lucerna and Cassiopea sp., the Semaeostomeae Chrysaora lactea (Scyphozoa), the Carybdeidae Tamoya haplonema and the Chirodropidae Chiropsalmus quadrumanus (Cubozoa). Additionally, will be listed the characters of the spermatozoa of each species, indicating possible synapomorphies of each group. For contrast microscopy differential phase there will be made a squash of the gonad with 5 ml of 2.5% glutaraldehyde or water from the collection site sea, being subsequently taken 100 µl of the solution, which will be collected on slides and covered with cover slip for further observation under the microscope. Fragments of the testicle will be fixed in modified Karnovsky solution (2.5% glutaraldehyde and 0.08% paraformaldehyde in sodium cacodylate buffer 0.1 M (pH 7.4). Then the samples will be processed in accordance with protocol of transmission electronic microscopy. A description of the general characteristics and ultrastructure of spermatozoa will be based on the presence and absence of certain characters already described in sperm of Scyphozoa and Cubozoa. Additionally these characters will be assessed to determine their suitability in the competing hypotheses of relationships between groups Scyphozoa and Cubozoa. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

TISEO, Gisele Rodrigues. Gonadal structure, histochemistry and ultrastructural characterization of male gonad and sperm of jellyfish species (Cubozoa and Scyphozoa, Medusozoa, Cnidaria). 2016. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.