The fine structure of coelomocytes in the sipunculid Phascolosoma esculenta.
Ultrastructural characteristics of coelomocytes of the sipunculid Phascolosoma esculenta were studied by transmission electron microscopy. There are several cell types in the coelomic fluid, including three kinds of granulocytes, vesicular cells, germ cells, amoebocytes, phagocytes, and erythrocytes; there are also a new cell complex which is composed of podocytes and granular cells. And several other cell types (erythrocyte and different kinds of granulocytes) gathering together was discovered in the coelomic fluid of P. esculenta. Functional interpretations were provided for these cells using morphological evidence. The coelomocytes from different sipunculid genera and Annelida were compared. The structural diversity of coelomocytes provides both taxonomic characteristics for discriminative identification and phylogenetic markers in Phascolosoma and other sipunculid taxa.
Ying
Xue-Ping
XP
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China. xpying@spermlab.org
Sun
Xiao
X
Wu
Hong-Xi
HX
Dahms
Hans-Uwe
HU
Chullasorn
Supawadee
S
Zhang
Yong-Pu
YP
Huang
Yi-Jun
YJ
Yang
Wan-Xi
WX
D000818:Animals; D000845:Annelida / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology; D002477:Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission