Histochemical and ultrastructural studies of the male accessory reproductive glands and spermatophore of the tsetse, Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood

Abstract

A pair of accessory reproductive glands (ARGs) containing a variety of secretory products forms a part of the male reproductive system of the tsetse, Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood. All of the ARG cells have an extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum which is indicative of the production of proteinaceous substances to be secreted. Histochemically, the secretory products in the lumen of the ARG contain a neutral mucopolysaccharide-protein complex, and are products of several morphological types. The latter are probably stages of maturation of the secretory materials that eventually become the wall of the spermatophore, a highly organized structure which acts as a temporary container for the spermatoza during their transfer to the spermathecae, and is histochemically composed of a mixture of carbohydrates and proteins. On grounds of histochemical and ultrastructural similarities, we suggest that the spermatophore of G. morsitans is derived, at least partially, from the male ARGs.