Morphological characterization of the fatty body of Bradysia hygida

• Grant number: 17/10323-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Siviero
• Grantee: Natália Torres
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bradysia hygida is a sciarid with several well known cellular and physiological aspects, having been object of study since the 60s and maintained in culture since then. Sciarids have always been biological models of difficult experimentation, however current methodologies and the data already produced in these models open possibilities of studies that were impracticable until recently, making B. hygida a promising study model. The fat body of sciarids has always been a poorly studied tissue, since the focus has always been the polytene chromosomes present in other tissues; Structural aspects related to cell reorganization and death during metamorphosis have been described in Rhynchosciara americana, but many cellular and physiological aspects remain to be elucidated. This project proposes the morphological characterization of the fat body of Bradysia hygida throughout its development through histological cuts, fluorescence microscopy and by electron microscopy. The visceral and the parietal fat bodies of this species will be studied in four ages: 2nd stage; 4th stage E3; Pupa and Adults. Histological sections of these tissues stained with HE, PAS, Bromophenol Blue and Alcian blue, as well as immunocytochemical preparations revealing cytoskeletal structures and distribution of lipids and polysaccharides will be produced and analyzed. Aspects of cell ultrastructure of these tissues at the aforementioned ages will be analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. This project is the first step to better understand the innate defense of Bradysia hygida and may represent in the long term new forms of biological control of sciarids or the possibility of identifying peptides with possible clinical application. Knowing morphological and ultrastructural aspects of this tissue throughout the development of this species represents an appropriate step to support further studies. (AU)