The microanatomy of the compound eye of Munida irrasa (Decapoda: Galatheidae)

The compound eye of Munida irrasa differs in several respects from the typical decapod eye. The proximal pigment is found only in retinula cells. The eccentric cell is extremely large and expanded to fill the interstices of the crystalline tract area; thus, a typical "clear-zone" is absent. Six retinula cells course distally to screen two sides of the crystalline cone. There are approximately 12,500 ommatidia in each compound eye. There are several similarities to the typical decapod eye. Each ommatidium is composed of a typical cornea, corneagenous cells, crystalline cone cells, crystalline cone, crystalline cone tract and eight retinula cells. Distal pigment cells are present and surround the crystalline cone. The distal processes of the retinula cells also contain pigment. The retinula cell processes penetrate the basement membrane as fascicles composed of processes from adjacent retinulae.     

The compound eye of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Scutigera coleoptrata</Emphasis> (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chilopoda: Notostigmophora): an ultrastructural reinvestigation that adds support to the Mandibulata concept

The lateral compound eye of Scutigera coleoptrata was examined by electron microscopy. Each ommatidium consists of a dioptric apparatus, formed by a cornea and a multipartite eucone crystalline cone, a bilayered retinula and a surrounding sheath of primary pigment and interommatidial pigment cells. With reference to the median eye region, each cone is made up of eight cone segments belonging to four cone cells. The nuclei of the cone cells are located proximally outside the cone near the transition area between distal and proximal retinula cells. The connection between nuclear region and cone segment is via a narrow cytoplasmic strand, which splits into two distal cytoplasmic processes. Additionally, from the nuclear region of each cone cell a single cytoplasmic process runs in a proximal direction to the basement membrane. The bilayered rhabdom is usually made up of the rhabdomeres of 9–12 distal retinula cells and four proximal retinula cell. The pigment shield is composed of primary pigment cells (which most likely secrete the corneal lens) and interommatidial pigment cells. The primary pigment cells underlie the cornea and surround, more or less, the upper third of the crystalline cone. By giving rise to the cornea and by functioning as part of the pigment shield these pigment cells serve a double function. Interommatidial pigment cells extend from the cornea to the basement membrane and stabilise the ommatidium. In particular, the presence of cone cells, primary pigment cells as well as interommatidial pigment cells in the compound eye of S. coleoptrata is seen as an important morphological support for the Mandibulata concept. Furthermore, the phylogenetic significance of these cell types is discussed with respect to the Tetraconata.     

大草蛉成虫复眼的外部形态及其显微结构

用扫描电镜和光学显微镜观察了大草蛉Chrysopa pallens Ramber成虫复眼的外部形态及明、暗适应和性别对其显微结构的影响。结果发现：（1）其复眼呈半球形,位于头部两侧,略成“八”字形排列,单个复眼约由3 600个小眼组成,最前和最后小眼之间的夹角约为180°,最上和最下小眼之间的夹角约200°;（2）小眼主要由角膜、晶锥和6～8个小网膜细胞、基膜组成,外围环绕有2个初级虹膜色素细胞和6个次级虹膜色素细胞,基膜处有色素颗粒分布;（3）暗适应时,晶锥开裂程度较大,远端5～7个网膜细胞核向远端移动,与晶锥近端相接或接近,次级虹膜色素颗粒亦向远端移动包围晶锥;明适应时,晶锥开裂程度小或闭合,远端网膜细胞核向近端移动,透明带显现,大部分次级虹膜色素颗粒亦向近端移动分布在小网膜细胞柱周围,包被透明带;（4）在相同的明、暗适应下,雌、雄成虫复眼的显微结构无明显差异。结果表明大草蛉复眼为透明带明显的重叠象眼,其小眼不但具有次级虹膜色素颗粒纵向移动的常规调光机制,还存在晶锥开闭、远端网膜细胞核移动和基膜色素颗粒纵向扩散的调光新机制。     

棉铃虫蛾复眼的微细结构及其区域性差异

用电子显微镜观察棉铃虫蛾复眼的微细结构及其区域性差异。此复眼具有小网膜细胞柱的透明带。每个小眼包括一个外凸内平的角膜,一个晶锥,四个形成晶锥、晶束的晶锥细胞和两个围绕着晶锥的主虹膜细胞,六至八个小网膜细胞和一个基细胞。晶锥末端有一短小固定的晶束。小网膜细胞柱远侧中央有似微绒毛结构的视杆束。每个小眼被六个附色素细胞围绕。 微细结构的区域性差异:1.背方小眼视杆中段横切面近似矩形,主要由六个微绒毛平行排列的三角形视小杯组成,整个视杆包含两个互相垂直的微绒毛轴;腹方、前方、后方和侧方区域的小眼视杆中段横切面为风扇形,“V”字形视小杆内微绒毛排列不平行;2.前方区域小眼视杆中段的横切面要比后方大;3.前方、腹方区域内,有的相邻小眼的小网膜细胞柱互相连结,背方、后方区域未观察到这一现象。     

The morphology of the eyes of Limulus

Summary The dioptric apparatus of the Limulus compound eye is composed of the corneal cuticle with its internally projecting cuticular cones and the specialized underlying epidermis. The latter is composed of three distinct cell types. The guanophores, located between cuticular cones, contain guanine as a reflecting pigment. The distal pigment cells, which clothe the sides of the cuticular cones and form a sheath around the underlying ommatidium, contain massive bundles of microtubules, abundant pigment droplets and a large Golgi system. The cone cells are positioned between the flattened tip of the cuticular cone and the apex of the ommatidium. They serve to anchor the retinula cells to the cuticle and, by virtue of long processes along the periphery of the rhabdome, perform a glial function with respect to the interaction of adjacent retinula cells. The geometry and fine structure of the dioptric apparatus provide supporting evidence for the wide angle of acceptance and lack of polarized light perception by the ommatidia.This study constitutes publication No. 288 from the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, supported in part by Grants FR 00163 and NB 07717-01 from the National Institutes of Health and in part by a Bob Hope Fight For Sight Grant-in-Aid of the National Council to Combat Blindness, Inc. The author wishes to thank Mrs. Audrey Griffin for patient and excellent technical assistance.     

The Fine Structure of the Compound Eye of Tanais cavolinii Milne-Edwards (Crustacea: Tanaidacea)

Abstract The compound (apposition) eyes of Tanais cavolinii are not well developed: the number of ommatidia is small and there are certain irregularities in structure. The refractive components are formed by the cornea and the cone. The latter is built up by two cone cells. In addition, there are two accessory cone cells confined to the distal part of the cone. The eight pigmented retinular cells extend from the cornea to the basement membrane. Proximal to the cone, they form a fused continuous rhabdom, which in cross section has a rectangular outline. In the middle part of the rhabdom, the microvilli are arranged perpendicular to the long axis of the rhabdom when seen in cross section. The microvilli outside of this area can be arranged either parallel or perpendicular to the microvilli of the middle part. Other irregularities occur in the ommatidium, e.g. the position of the retinular cell nuclei, which are found at different levels. Extensions from the cone cells fuse and form a mesh proximal to the rhabdom. Between the mesh and basal lamina is a basal cell type enveloping the proximal parts of the retinular cells and their axons. These cells also form the basal lamina, which delimits the compound eye from the haemocoel. No special pigment cells are present in the compound eye of Tanais cavolinii.     

Ultrastructure of the eye of a euphausiid crustacean

The compound eye of the Antarctic euphausiid Euphausia superba is a spherical clear zone eye. The dioptric system consists of a hexagonally-faceted cornea, two corneagenous cells, two crystalline cone cells which form the bipartite crystalline cone, and two accessory cone cells. The dioptric system of each ommatidium is separated from that of adjacent ommatidia by six distal pigment cells and a basement membrane. The proximal tip of the crystalline cone is cupped by the distal ends of the seven retinula cells whose nuclei are arranged in a staggered array slightly distal to the middle of the clear zone. In the distal half of the clear zone, each narrow retinula cell column is surrounded by large proximal extensions of the six distal pigment cells. The pigment cells narrow more proximally and terminate at the proximal basement membrane. A specialized axial channel complex extends from the crystalline cone through the clear zone, and is continuous with a conical refractive element which caps the distal end of the rhabdom. The rhabdom is fused, and made up of alternating highly birefringent layers of orthogonally-oriented microvilli. It is surrounded by a narrow extra-cellular space which is continuous with the distal refractive element and a second conical refractive element at the proximal end of the rhabdom.     

Further studies on the development of the eye of Drosophila melanogaster. I. The ommatidia

Electron microscope observations on the differentiating Drosophila eye show an extensive proliferation of parallel arrays of microtubules at periods preceding, or coinciding with, alterations in cellular morphology. In the retinular cells they are aligned in the direction of elongation and close to the developing rhabdomeres, forming a cylinder around the central ommatidial axis. At a later stage, in the cone cells, they are aligned in the direction of cellular contraction. Thus as in other developing systems microtubules appear to be directly involved in the morphogenesis of the Drosophila eye. In the retinular cells they gradually disappear during elongation, whereas they persist in the cone cells. The pigment cells contain few of these structures. The distribution of two types of specialised cell attachments, adhering zones and septate desmosomes is discussed in relation to intercellular morphogenesis and communication. The rhabdomeres originate from infoldings of the plasma membrane which later grow out into typical microvilli. Unusul cytoplasmic granules are described in the pigment cells of early pupae.     

Intercellular junctions of antennal gland epithelial cells in the crayfish,Orconectes virilis

Summary Labyrinth and nephridial canal cells of the crayfish (Orconectes virilis) antennal gland possess two types of intercellular junctions revealed by freeze-fracture studies. Apical margins of the cells are connected by long septate junctions. In replicas, these junctions consist of many parallel rows of 80–140 Å intramembrane particles situated on the PF membrane face (EF and PF fracture faces of Branton et al., 1975). Rows of pits are found on the EF fracture face and are deemed complementary to the rows of particles. Moreover, lateral margins of basal regions of the epithelial cells are attached by many intercellular junctions. These contacts are characterized in thin plastic sections by a narrow dense cytoplasmic plaque located subjacent to the plasma membrane at sites of adjoined cells, and 5 to 12 fine strands of dense material that extend across the intercellular gap between adjoined cells. In freeze-fracture replicas, EF intramembrane faces basal to the region of the plasma membrane containing septate junctions exhibit numerous discoid clusters of particles. The particle aggregates, assumed to represent freeze-cleave images of adhering junctions, range from 900 to 3,700 Å in diameter, with individual particles about 185 Å in diameter. These junctions appear to connect epithelial cell processes formed by basal infoldings of the plasma-lemma, and occur between adjacent cells as well as adjacent processes of a single cell. The discrete aggregates of particles resemble replicated desmosomes (Shienvold and Kelly, 1974) and hemi-desmosomes (Shivers, 1976); therefore, they probably do not constitute a basis for electrical coupling between antennal gland epithelial cells.Supported by the National Research Council of Canada     

Structure and functional aspects of the scotopic compound eye of the sugarcane borer moth

Morphology and functional aspects of the scotopic compound eye of the moth Diatraea saccharalis, studied using light and electron microscopy, is presented. An ommatidium is composed of a laminate corneal lens, four Semper cells, a refractive cone, two primary pigment cells, six screening pigment cells, a crystalline tract that functions as an optical waveguide, and six to eight sensory retinular cells. Accessory light regulators consist of screening pigment cells that, in the dark-adapted position, increase receptor sensitivity by permitting light rays to cross over to adjacent ommatidia and specialized tracheal regions that enhance sensitivity by reflecting light back toward sensory receptors.     

飞蝗复眼生理和结构上的节律变化

采用细胞内记录和光镜方法研究了飞蝗(Locusta migratoria)夜间和日间在暗适应和明适应状态下小网膜细胞角敏感度以及晶锥和小网膜细胞之间区域结构上的变化.结果表明小网膜细胞角敏感度的变化不仅仅由于晶锥周围主色素细胞色素颗粒的移动,而且也由于小眼感杆束结构上的节律变化.     

Morphology of the compound eye of the giant deep-sea isopod Bathynomus giganteus

The structural organization of the compound eye of the largest known isopod, Bathynomus giganteus, is described from four specimens maintained in the laboratory for as long as two months. Living specimens have not previously been available for study. The two triangular compound eyes measure about 18 mm on the dorsal edge and are separated by an interocular distance of 25 mm. They face forward and slightly downward and may have significant overlap in visual fields. Each eye contains about 3,500 ommatidia in animals of body lengths from 22.5 cm to 37.5 cm. The packing of ommatidia is not uniform across the retina, but is nearly hexagonal in the dorsal central region and nearly square in the ventral and lateral periphery. The dioptric elements in each ommatidium consist of a laminar cornea, which is flat externally and convex internally, and a bipartite crystalline cone. Sometimes seven and sometimes eight retinular cells closely appose the proximal tip of the cone and bear the microvilli of the rhabdom. Proximal to the rhabdom the retinular cells form thin pillars near the periphery of the ommatidium, and the central portion along the optic axis at this level is occupied by interstitial cells that contain massive arrays of clear vesicles thought to serve as reflective elements. The arhabdomeral segments of the retinular cells and the interstitial cells rest on a basement membrane. Within each ommatidium the basement membrane has two extensions with cylindrical cores and thin sheets of dense material and collagen-like filaments. These sheets occupy spaces between adjacent interstitial cells up to the level of the rhabdomeral segments of the retinular cells. Arrays of pigment cells with relatively weak light-screening properties separate adjacent ommatidia. Animals were fixed both in light within a week of being brought from depth into daylight, and after 2 months of maintenance in constant darkness following such daylight exposure. In both cases, microvilli of the rhabdom were severely disrupted and the retinular cytoplasm contained numerous multivesicular bodies. Exposure to natural daylight appears to cause irreversible structural damage to the photoreceptors of these animals.     

Oxidation of ruthenium red for use as an intercellular tracer

Summary When ruthenium red (RR) is combined with OsO₄, an electronopaque complex forms which readily binds to the cell surface coat. However, the RR-OsO₄ complex is often excluded from intercellular spaces in many cell types, and thus is not dependable as a tracer of regions continuous with the extracellular space. Postfixation of erythrocytes agglutinated by the lectin helix (Helix promatia) and intact carotid artery endothelium with a freshly prepared mixture of 1% OsO₄ containing 0.1% ruthenium red (RR) resulted in a dense surface deposit of these cells, but intercellular regions were penetrated to a minimal degree by the stain. When a similar mixture of RR-OsO₄ was allowed to stand 3 h before use, RR is oxidized by OsO₄ to yield a ruthenium compound that has a spectrophotometric absorbance maximum at 365 nm. This RR molecule has a reduced number of cationic sites due to binding with osmium dioxide OsO ₂ ⁼ . Postfixation of agglutinated RBCs and carotid artery endothelium with this oxidized ruthenium-OsO₄ mixture resulted in a 50–80% decrease in surface deposition but markedly enhanced penetration into intercellular regions. The enhanced penetration is attributed to decreased binding affinity of the oxidized ruthenium for anionic surface membrane components, permitting effective stain penetration into regions of cell-to-cell contact rather than extensive surface deposition. These studies indicate that the ruthenium compound formed by OsO₄ oxidation of ruthenium red may be a useful tracer for ultrastructural visualization of intercellular spaces and junctions.     

The Anostracan Rhabdom and the Basement Membrane. An Ultrastructural Study of the Artemia Compound Eye (Crustacea)

Abstract The ommatidia of the compound eyes of Artemia salina L. are normally composed of four crystalline cone cells containing glycogen. The cells are enveloped by two so-called “cellules épidermiques juxta-cristallines”. There are also six pigmented retinula cells, all contributing to the rhabdom. A peculiar feature of the Artemia crystalline cone cells is that their elongated parts, the so-called cone cell roots, widen and flatten proximally, forming interdigitating “endfeet”. The basement membrane thus consists of a cellular portion combined with the basal lamina. The main mass of the rhabdom of the Artemia eye is built up by five retinula cells, two contributing a smaller part. The microvilli are oriented in four directions, two being orthogonal. The sixth cell contributes on two small portions to the rhabdom in the distalmost and a more proximal position. The rest of it runs axon-like outside the omnatidium. Where the sixth cell wedges in, the direction of the microvilli is changed and has no orthogonal pattern. Two rhabdom types of compound eyes are distinguished: the decapod or banded or layered rhabdom: and the anostracan rhabdom with continuous rhabdomeres.     

Ultrastructure of infection-thread development during the infection of soybean by Rhizobium japonicum

The location and topography of infection sites in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) root hairs spot-inoculated with Rhizobium japonicum have been studied at the ultrastructural level. Infections commonly developed at sites created when the induced deformation of an emerging root hair caused a portion of the root-hair cell wall to press against an adjacent epidermal cell, entrapping rhizobia within the pocket between the two host cells. Infections were initiated by bacteria which became embedded in the mucigel in the enclosed groove. Infection-thread formation in soybean appears to involve degradation of mucigel material and localized disruption of the outer layer of the folded hair cell wall by one or more entrapped rhizobia. Rhizobia at the site of penetration are separated from the host cytoplasm by the host plasmalemma and by a layer of wall material that appears similar or identical to the normal inner layer of the hair cell wall. Proliferation of the bacteria results in an irregular, wall-bound sac near the site of penetration. Tubular infection threads, bounded by wall material of the same appearance as that surrounding the sac, emerge from the sac to carry rhizobia roughly single-file into the hair cell. Growing regions of the infection sac or thread are surrounded by host cytoplasm with high concentrations of organelles associated with synthesis and deposition of membrane and cell-wall material. The threads follow a highly irregular path toward the base of the hair cell. Threads commonly run along the base of the hair cell for some distance, and may branch and penetrate into subjacent cortical cells at several points in a manner analagous to the initial penetration of the root hair.     

Membrane junctions between salivary gland cells ofChironomus thummi

Summary Cells ofChironomus salivary glands communicate through intercellular connections of high permeability. Electron micrographs of salivary glands show two kinds of junctions between the membranes of adjacent cells, which may be responsible for cell coupling: septate junctions and close membrane junctions.A large fraction of lateral cell surfaces is occupied by septate junctions, while the area of close membrane junctions appears to be very small. Consequently septate junctions have been considered as likely sites for intercellular coupling. There are however some indications that intercellular communication is provided by structures which seem to be unstable. As osmotic effects are among the factors which can disrupt cellular communications, we have tried to eliminate possible effects of the fixing solutions on the ultrastructure of intercellular connections by using isoosmotic fixatives. Under these conditions large regions of close membrane junctions of the nexus kind have been observed to occur between gland cells. They are of similar size as septate junctions. It seems to be possible that as in other communicating cell systems nexus could be the sites for intercellular coupling of salivary gland cells.The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. H. Leonhardt, Institut für Anatomie I, Homburg, for the use of his electron microscope (Zeiss EM 9-DFG grant LE 69–8) during part of this work and Prof. Dr. H. Kroeger, Institut für Genetik, Saarbrücken for the supply withChironomus larvae.     

Conservation of antigen 3G6: A crystalline cone constitutent in the compound eye of arthropods

A monoclonal antibody (MAb), 3G6, highly selective for neuropil glia in the CNS of the house cricket Acheta domesticus, also demonstrates remarkable selectivity for the nonneuronal crystalline cone cells of the compound eye. MAb 3G6 labels cone cells in eucone eyes throughout Insecta, from ancestral forms such as the bristle tail to the more recent honeybee; eucone structures are also recognized in Crustacea. Analogous nonneural structures found in pseudocone or acone eyes also express detectable 3G6 immunoreactivity. Immunoblot analysis demonstrates that MAb 3G6 binds to similar M_r 85 kDa glycoproteins in the cricket CNS and retina, corresponding to the glial and crystalline cone forms of the antigen. Further, polypeptides of similar relative mass are also recognized in the eucone eye of the butterfly Pieris and the pseudocone eye of the fly Calliphora. The properties and function of glycoprotein 3G6 in the CNS and retina are yet to be explored. However, the finding that a unique antigen is highly conserved within the crystalline cone or analogous regions of the retina throughout the Arthropoda lends support at the molecular level to the notion that the arthropod compound eye has a monophyletic origin.     

Degeneration of the compound eye of the termite Neotermes jouteli (Isoptera) in darkness during the phase of reproduction

Summary Long-term light deprivation of the royal pair of Neotermes jouteli during the phase of reproduction leads to a dramatic change in the organization within the compound eye. In a swarming alate, investigated with scanning and transmission electron microscopy, the eye consists of about 200 ommatidia. No differences between male and female eyes are observed. Each ommatidium is composed of a biconvex cornea, a cone of the eucone type, and a rhabdom which is located directly beneath the Semper cells. The rhabdom consists of eight rhabdomeres which are fused along the ommatidial axis. In the central part of the compound eye the rhabdom measures roughly 20 m in length. Concealed life of the imagines causes a dismantling of the cone and the rhabdom until complete destruction. This is accompanied by an increase in the number of pigment granules and a decrease in the number of mitochondria.     

THE CELL JUNCTION IN A LAMELLIBRANCH GILL CILIATED EPITHELIUM : Localization of Pyroantimonate Precipitate

The junctional complex in the gill epithelium of the freshwater mussel (Elliptio complanatus) consists of an intermediary junction followed by a 2–3 µ long septate junction. Homologous and heterologous cell pairs are connected by this junction. After fixation with 1% OsO₄ containing 1% potassium pyroantimonate, electron microscopy of the gill reveals deposits of electron-opaque precipitate, specifically and consistently localized along cellular membranes. In both junctional and nonjunctional membrane regions, the precipitate usefully outlines the convolutions without obliterating the 150 A intercellular space, which suggests the rarity or absence of either vertebrate-type gap or tight junctions along the entire cell border. The precipitate appears on the cytoplasmic side of the limiting unit membranes of frontal (F), laterofrontal (LF), intermediate (I), lateral (L), and postlateral (PL) cells. The membrane surfaces of certain vesicles of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, of multivesicular bodies, and of mitochondrial cristae contain precipitate, as does the nucleolus. In other portions of the cell, precipitate is largely absent. The amount of over-all deposition is variable and depends on the treatment of the tissue prior to fixation. Deposition is usually enhanced by pretreatment with 40 mM NaCl as opposed to 40 mM KCl, which suggests that the precipitate is in part sodium pyroantimonate. Treatment with 0.2 mM ouabain does not enhance deposition. Regional differentiation of cell membranes with respect to their ability to precipitate pyroantimonate is found in at least three instances: (a) between the ciliary membranes and other portions of the cell membrane: the precipitate terminates abruptly at the ciliary base, (b) between the LF and I cell borders: the precipitate is asymmetric, favoring the LF side of the junction, and (c) between the septate junctional membrane and adjacent membrane: the precipitate occurs periodically throughout the septate junction region with the periodicity corresponding to the spacing of the septa. This suggests that different regions of the cell membrane may have differing ion permeability properties and, in particular, that the septa may be the regions of high ion permeability in the septate junction.     

The ultrastructure of the compound eye of Munida rugosa (Crustacea: Anomura) and pigment migration during light and dark adaptation

The galatheid squat lobster, Munida rugosa, has compound eyes of the reflecting superposition type in which a distal cone cell layer and a proximal rhabdom layer are separated by an extensive clear zone. The eye is shown to have certain unique features. In all other reflecting superposition eyes, the clear zone is traversed by crystalline tracts formed by the cone cells. In M. rugosa a thin distal rhabdom thread, formed by the eighth retinula cell, connects the cones to the proximal fusiform rhabdoms. The cytoplasm of the other retinula cells also crosses the clear zone in a complex pattern. Fully light-adapted ommatidia are optically isolated by limited migrations of distal shielding pigments. A reflecting pigment multilayer lines each cone to facilitate the formation of a superposition image. This also shows a light-induced change which may limit the acceptance angle of the eye during light adaptation.