title: Morphological, histological, and ultrastructural studies of the ovary of the cattle-tick Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae).
abstract: This study presents the morphology of the ovary, as well as the dynamics of the vitellogenesis process in oocytes of the cattle-tick Boophilus microplus. The ovary of these individuals is of the panoistic type; therefore, it lacks nurse cells. This organ consists of a single tubular structure, continuous, and composed of a lumen delimitated by a wall of small epithelial cells with rounded nuclei. In this tick species, the oocytes were classified into six stages varying from I to VI and according to: cytoplasm appearance and presence of the germ vesicle, yolk granules, and chorion. Oocytes of various sizes and at different developmental stages remain attached to the ovary through a cellular pedicel until completing stage V. Afterwards, they are liberated into the lumen and from there to the exterior. Some oocytes (classified as type VI) showed an atypical appearance indicating that some of the cellular components would be undergoing a degenerative process and/or reabsorption.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, I.B., Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Av. 24 A, No. 1515 Cx, Postal 199, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Kelly Cristina
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Gervásio Henrique
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bechara
authors.forename: Erika Takagi
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Patricia Rosa
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Sandra Eloisi
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Denardi
authors.forename: Maria Izabel Camargo
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Mathias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009865:Oocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014818:Vitellogenesis / Q000502:physiology