Structural and functional analysis of the penis and the prostate in neotropical bats

• Grant number: 15/06923-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2015
• End date: March 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Morielle Versute
• Grantee: Manuela Tosi Comelis Martins
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Order Chiroptera is the second largest order of Mammalia, and despite the wide radiation and advances in studies of evolutionary approaches in this group, the aspects of reproductive biology are still poorly explored, especially those related to accessory reproductive glands (ARGS), their functional relationships with seasonal reproductive variations, common in many species, and the morphology of the copulatory organ, the penis, which is well known to be responsible for the success of copulation in these animals. Thus, the aim of this project is to analyze the prostate complex and penile in bat species belonging to the main families found in Brazil: Vespertilionidae, Molossidae and Phyllostomidae. Therefore, the prostates of adult male specimens of Molossus molossus and Eptesicus furinalis and the penis of adult males of Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus planirostris, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Eptesicus furialis and Molossus rufus will be evaluated, in order to delineate an anatomical, histological and histochemical comparative panorama between the structures with detailed descriptions through macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural analysis; taking into account the assessment of the possible influence of seasonal and hormone serum concentrations of sex steroids on the gland throughout the year. To the penis, emphasis will be given to the characterization of the glans penis, the baculum, or penis bone, and diffuse cavernous tissue. These analyzes complete a series of studies that will allow to evaluate structural aspects of the reproductive organs of the group, aiming a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Chiroptera. Based on this information, we believe that further studies on histophysiology of the prostate and male copulatory organ in Brazilian species of bats will contribute to the understanding of the reproductive biology of these animals. Allied to this, we emphasize the great importance of studies on reproductive system morphophysiology of these animals associate with s systematized environmental parameters such as seasonality, so that they can be implemented in a combined analysis of the anatomical and histological parameters, thus providing a greater range of ecological and evolutionary evaluation within Chiroptera. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

JUBILATO, FERNANDA C.; COMELIS, MANUELA T.; BUENO, LARISSA M.; TABOGA, SEBASTIAO R.; GOES, REJANE M.; MORIELLE-VERSUTE, ELIANA. Histomorphology of the glans penis in Vespertilionidae and Phyllostomidae species (Chiroptera, Mammalia). Journal of Morphology, v. 280, n. 12, p. 1759-1776, DEC 2019. (13/11859-2, 15/06923-9, 12/24288-0)

COMELIS, MANUELA T.; BUENO, LARISSA M.; GOES, REJANE M.; TABOGA, S. R.; MORIELLE-VERSUTE, ELIANA. Morphological and histological characters of penile organization in eleven species of molossid bats. ZOOLOGY, v. 127, p. 70-83, APR 2018. (15/06923-9, 13/11859-2, 09/16181-9, 12/24288-0)

Academic Publications

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

MARTINS, Manuela Tosi Comelis. Structural and functional analysis of the penis and prostate of neotropical bats. 2019. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas. São José do Rio Preto São José do Rio Preto.