At larval and adult stage of life cycle, sponges (Porifera) have different flagellated cells that play different roles in their body. The larval epithelium cells serve as locomotion organs, while adult collar cells (choanocytes) have a feeding function. Here, for the first time, we describe detailed structure of the flagellar apparatus (kinetid) in larval cells and choanocytes of Haliclona aquaeductus and Halichondria panicea demosponges, and attach schemes of its organization, based on longitudinal and transversal ultrathin serial sections. The kinetid of larvae has proved to be more complicated than the choanocytes ones. It includes well-developed transverse and longitudinal cytoskeletons that strengthen the larval flagellum. The longitudinal skeleton in H. aquaeductus is represented by unusual structures, which were previously understudied: large tubular rootlets made of oblique-crossed fibers, which connect the kinetosome with mitochondria. We also found out that the kinetid composition varies between different cell types of a highly structured parenchymella of H. aquaeductus. In simply organized parenchymella of H. panicea, flagellated cells are identical and its kinetid includes a permanent additional centriole absent in choanocytes of adult sponges. We tried to evaluate the diversity of sponge larval kinetid organization based on literature data and found it variable within Haplosclerida and quite conservative within other sponge lineages.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)171-184
Number of pages14
JournalZoomorphology
Volume138
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2019

    Scopus subject areas

  • Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Developmental Biology

    Research areas

  • Choanocytes, Kinetid, Larvae, Porifera, Ultrastructure, EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT, PARENCHYMELLA LARVA, BASAL APPARATUS, SPONGE LARVAE, FLAGELLATED CELLS, ULTRASTRUCTURE, PORIFERA, SWIMMING BEHAVIOR, METAMORPHOSIS, CILIATED CELLS

ID: 38719097