イトミミズの卵のう壁の構造と化学的性質

概要

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The eggs of the freshwater oligochaete, Tubifex hattai, undergo development in a cocoon. The fertilized eggs, if taken out of the cocoon, can not survive in freshwater. The internal conditions of the cocoon, therefore, must be suitable for the embryonic development of this worm. This paper deals with the embryonic environment of Tubifex eggs by examining the fine structure and some properties of the cocoon. Using scanning electron microscopy, we found that the cocoon mombrane was made up of fine fibrils closely intertwined without definite pores. The cocoon plug was spongy, but had a smooth surface. The cocoon wall was permeable to water, crystalloids and dyes but not to colloids, such as gum arabic. Histochemically, the cocoon wall showed positive reactions to polysaccharide and protein tests. It was resistant, however, to various enzymes and acids. These results suggest that the cocoon wall may be made from a kind of scleroprotein. Amino acid composition analysis revealed that at least eighteen or twenty-one amino acids participated in the formation of the cocoon wall protein. The molecular ratios of histidine : lysine : arginine resembled those of collagen.
社団法人日本動物学会の論文
1980-06-25