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Inorganic ions in spermathecal fluid and their transport across the spermathecal membrane of the queen bee, Apis mellifera

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Gessner,  B.
Department of Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max Planck Society;

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Gessner,  Karin
Department of Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Gessner, B., & Gessner, K. (1976). Inorganic ions in spermathecal fluid and their transport across the spermathecal membrane of the queen bee, Apis mellifera. Journal of Insect Physiology, 22(11), 1469-1474. doi:10.1016/0022-1910(76)90212-2.


Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-541E-7
Abstract
Micropuncture and microanalytical methods were employed to investigate the rôle of the spermathecal epithelium of the honey queen-bee in providing the appropriate conditions for the prolonged storage of spermatozoa. It was found that the epithelium maintains large concentration gradients of inorganic ions, generates an electrical potential difference of 21 mV, lumen positive, and produces a pH difference of up to 2.4 pH units between spermathecal fluid (SF) and haemolymph (H). The concentration ratios for K+, Na+, Ca++, Cl−1, HPO4−−, H2PO4 and amino acids were 7.7; 0.5; 0.8; 0.4; 1.03; 0.004; 0.3, respectively. While the pH value of haemolymph was constant at 6.17, the pH of SF increased with age from 7.3 to 8.6 over the first 3 days. The calculated electrochemical potential differences suggest that the epithelium of the spermathecal wall secretes K+ (and possibly HCO3 or OH) actively into the lumen, but handles Na+ passively. This pattern conforms with the organization of ion transport in other insects.