title: Rickettsiae-like microorganisms in the midgut and other visceral tissues during development of Drosophila auraria.
abstract: Rickettsiae-like organisms (RLOs) were identified for the first time in midgut, Malpighian tubules, wreath cells (ventral nephrocytes), spermatogonia and gut muscles in a species of Drosophila. Their number in the midgut cells of Drosophila auraria significantly increased at the late third larval instar and at the beginning of pupation. The RLO population in the larval midgut followed the fate of their host cells and was destroyed during metamorphosis. The RLOs pass from the larval to the adult midgut via the RLOs existing in the 'regenerative cells', which will form the adult midgut during population. The total volume of RLOs per anterior midgut cell increased analogically in relation to the absolute volume of the host cells till the 130 h larval stage. However, during the late-third instar and at the beginning of pupation the total volume of RLOs per host cell significantly increased. The physiological significance of the latter data as well as the relationship between RLOs and host cells are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tartas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000196:embryology / Q000382:microbiology; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008317:Malpighian Tubules / Q000382:microbiology; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000382:microbiology