0000000000643027
AUTHOR
Giuseppina D’ancona Lunetta
Studies on the Fibrous Components of the Test ofCiona intestinalisLinnaeus. I. Cellulose-like Polysaccharide
Chemical, histochemical and electron microscopic studies on the fibrous polysaccharide component of the test of Ciona intestinalis L. were made. The results showed cellulose-like fibres to be present in the cuticle layer and in the ground substance. Bundles of fibres varying in diameter from 80 to 600 nm interweave to form a conspicuous network. The bundle appears to be formed of flat fibres, 10–13 nm in width, while the fibre is composed of fibrils 3.5–5 nm; the rectangular cross section of fibres can be supposed. The probable role of this polysaccharide is discussed.
Defence Mechanisms and Stem Cells in Holothuria polii and Sipunculus nudus
Holothuria polii (Phylum Echinodermata) and Sipunculus nudus (Phylum Sipuncula) have been used as model systems for studying invertebrate immunity. In the coelomic fluid of Holothuria polii, coelomocytes (i.e. amoebocytes, Type I, Type II, Type III spherule cells) and stem cells are present. After an injection of formalin-fixed sheep erythrocytes into the coelomic cavity, structural modifications in the animal’s, such as the coelomic cavity, stone canal and periesophageal ring were observed. Cellular events observed within the coelomic cavity include the recruitment of a large number of coelomocytes from the haemopoietic areas, phagocytosis carried out by amoebocytes and the formation of br…