Three new Neotropical species and a new genus of land flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Geoplaninae)

Three new Neotropical land planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplaninae) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest are described. Obama apiguara Oliveira, Almeida & Carbayo sp. nov. presents glandular fossae opening through dorsal epithelium, a structure not documented previously among land flatworms. Paraba tata Bolonhezi, Lago-Barcia & Carbayo sp. nov., is characterized by a prostatic vesicle horizontal with an inconspicuous bifurcate portion, a penis papilla as long as male atrium and a female genital duct projected from the postero-dorsal section of the female atrium. The third new species is distinctive in the extraordinarily thick muscle surrounding the prostatic vesicle, a finger-shaped penis papilla, and a dilated female genital cavity. These attributes stands the species apart from all members of Geoplaninae and Piima ata Carbayo gen. et sp. nov. is proposed.

Reproductive cycle of Bolinus brandaris and penis and genital duct size variations in a population affected by imposex

The reproductive cycle of Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae) was investigated. Specimens were sampled monthly from a site off Sant Carles de la Ràpita, in the western Mediterranean, between February 1999 and March 2000. A pattern was observed in the reproductive cycle, with two reproductive peaks (April and June–July). The first stages of gametogenesis began in September for males and November for females. Mature males were found from December to April and from June to July. Maximum ripening in females was attained at the end of June and during July, coinciding with the spawning season. In May, there was a resting stage in females, and for both sexes from August to October.Males exhibited variation in penis length and vas deferens width related to the reproductive cycle. Sizes of both dimensions increased as maturation progressed. The variation was not found in imposex females.

Ovine male genital duct epithelial cells differentiate in vitro and express functional CFTR and ENaC

To investigate the biology of the male genital duct epithelium, we have established cell cultures from the ovine vas deferens and epididymis epithelium. These cells develop tight junctions, high transepithelial electrical resistance, and a lumen-negative transepithelial potential difference as a sign of active transepithelial ion transport. In epididymis cultures the equivalent short-circuit current ( I sc) averaged 20.8 ± 0.7 μA/cm2 ( n = 150) and was partially inhibited by apical application of amiloride with an inhibitor concentration of 0.64 μM. In vas deferens cultures, I sc averaged 14.4 ± 1.1 μA/cm2 ( n = 18) and was also inhibited by apical application of amiloride with a half-maximal inhibitor concentration ( K i) of 0.68 μM. The remaining amiloride-insensitive I sc component in epididymis and vas deferens cells was partially inhibited by apical application of the Cl− channel blocker diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid (1 mM). It was largely dependent on extracellular Cl− and, to a lesser extent, on extracellular[Formula: see text]. It was further stimulated by basolateral application of forskolin (10− 5 M), which increased I sc by 3.1 ± 0.3 μA/cm2 ( n=65) in epididymis and 0.9 ± 0.1 μA/cm2 ( n = 11) in vas deferens. These findings suggest that cultured ovine vas deferens and epididymis cells absorb Na+ via amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC) and secrete Cl− and [Formula: see text]via apical cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl− channels. This interpretation is supported by RT-PCR data showing that vas deferens and epididymis cells express CFTR and ENaC mRNA.