Ultrastructure and chloride cytochemistry of the hindgut epithelium in the larvae of the seawater mosquito, Aëdes togoi Theobald.
The hindgut of Aëdes togoi larvae adapted to various external salinities was studied by light and electron microscopy. The larvae's pyloric chamber and the ileum of the hindgut are surrounded by a thick muscular layer and lined with a very thin unspecialized epithelium. There is no detectable difference in the ultrastructural organization of the epithelium between seawater-adapted and freshwater-adapted larvae. The rectum and the anal canal are greatly dilated and densely tracheated and have a very thick, highly specialized epithelium. The rectal epithelium is characterized by shorter apical and longer basal infoldings closely associated with mitochondria, and a particulate coating on the apical infoldings. The intercellular spaces and the basal channels are tightly closed in the rectal epithelium of freshwater-adapted larvae, whereas widely dilated in that of 100 to 200% seawater-adapted larvae. The rectum seems to reabsorb water from excretory fluid when larvae are in hyperosmotic media. The anal canal epithelium possesses well-developed apical infoldings, which are coated with small particles an intimately associated with mitochondria. The basal infoldings are short. No perceptible difference in the ultrastructural organization of the epithelium was observed between seawater-adapted and freshwater-adapted larvae. The lumina of the apical infoldings of the anal canal epithelium in seawater-adapted larvae, however, demonstrated a strongly positive reaction to the cytochemical assay for chloride ions, whereas the reaction was very weak in freshwater-adapted larvae. Unlike salt-water-mosquito larvae of the other species, in which the rectum is considered to be concerned with the formation of hyperosmotic urine, the anal canal in A. togoi larvae seems to play an important role in excretion of excess ions in the haemolymph when adapted to hyperosmotic media.
D000330:Aedes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides / Q000032:analysis; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007422:Intestines / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009940:Organoids / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012623:Seawater; D013045:Species Specificity
D002712:Chlorides