Sains Malaysiana 50(1)(2021): 93-99

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5001-10

Oocyte Differentiation and Reproductive Health of Solitary Tunicate (Styela plicata) from Eastern Coast of Thailand

(Pembezaan Oosit dan Kesihatan Pembiakan Tunikat Bersendirian (Styela plicata) dari Pantai Timur Thailand)

SENARAT, S.¹, KETTRATAD, J.², BOONYOUNG, P.³, JIRAUNGKOORSKUL, W.⁴, KATO, F.⁵, MONGKOLCHAICHANA, E.⁶, KANEKO, G.⁷ & POOLPRASERT, P.⁸*

¹Department of Marine Science and Environment, Faculty of Science and Fisheries Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Trang Campus, Sikao, Trang, 92150, Thailand

²Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

³Divison of Health and Applied Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

⁴Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

⁵Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Kumamoto, 863-2507, Japan

.

⁶Department of General Education, Faculty of Science and Health Technology, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, 10300, Thailand

⁷School of Arts and Sciences, University of Houston-Victoria, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. Victoria

Texas, 77901, USA

⁸Program of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand

Received: 1 April 2019/Accepted: 21 June 2020

Abstract

Histopathological examination is a widely acknowledged technique to assess the reproductive health of aquatic organisms, but it has never been applied to the tunicate Styela plicata, a potential indicator species of water quality. In this study, we examined the oocyte differentiation of S. plicata obtained from the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand in order to provide basic information for future assessment of its reproductive health. The mature gonad of S. plicata comprised several ovo-testicular convoluted tubes, in which each tube was divided into apical and terminal portions. The ovarian tissue is located in the apical part of the tunicate body and contained oocytes of various differentiation stages (asynchronous development type) consisting of the four phases namely oogonial proliferation phase, primary growth phase, secondary growth phase (secondary growth and full-growth stages), and post-ovulatory phase. Changes in the morphology of oocytes and follicular cells were described for each differentiation stage. In addition, we unexpectedly observed a high prevalence of atretic follicles (24.5%), which might indicate the oocyte damage by environmental stresses. These findings would be useful for future assessment of reproductive histology of S. plicata and other tunicate species from environmental perspectives.

Keywords: Ascidian; histology; reproduction; Styela plicata; Thailand

ABSTRAK

Pemeriksaan histopatologi adalah teknik yang telah diakui secara meluas untuk menilai kesihatan reproduktif organisma akuatik, namun teknik ini tidak pernah digunakan untuk mengenal pasti Styela plicata iaitu sejenis spesies yang berpotensi untuk menjadi penunjuk kualiti air. Dalam kajian ini, kami mengkaji pembezaan oosit S. plicata yang diperoleh dari pantai timur Thailand sebagai maklumat asas bagi penilaian tahap kesihatan reproduktif pada masa hadapan. S. plicata yang matang gonad terdiri daripada beberapa tiub berlingkar ovo-testikular dengan setiap tiub dibahagikan kepada bahagian apeks dan hujung. Tisu ovari terletak di bahagian apikal daripada badan tunikat dan mengandungi oosit daripada pelbagai peringkat pembezaan (jenis pembangunan asingkroni) yang terdiri daripada empat fasa iaitu fasa percambahan oogonial, fasa pertumbuhan primer, fasa pertumbuhan sekunder (pertumbuhan sekunder dan peringkat pertumbuhan penuh) dan fasa pasca ovulasi. Perubahan dalam morfologi oosit dan sel folikel diterangkan untuk setiap tahap pembezaan. Di samping itu, kami secara tidak sengaja telah mencerap prevalensi folikel atretik yang tinggi (24.5%), yang mungkin menunjukkan kerosakan oosit oleh tekanan daripada alam sekitar. Penemuan ini dapat digunakan untuk penilaian masa akan datang mengenai histologi pembiakan S. plicata dan spesies tunikat yang lain daripada perspektif alam sekitar.

Kata kunci: Askidia; histologi; pembiakan; Styela plicata; Thailand

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*Corresponding author; email: poolprasert_p@psru.ac.th