Ye Ke-Qi, Wang Guan, Guo Jian-Sheng, Zhang Chuan-Xi, Yu Xiao-Ping, Li Dan-Ting
Key Laboratory of Microbiological Metrology, State Administration for Market Regulation, College of Life Science, Jiliang University, Measurement & Bio-Product Quality Security, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Cell Tissue Res. 2025 Dec;402(3):477-486. doi: 10.1007/s00441-025-04017-6. Epub 2025 Oct 22.
The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) has a high reproductive rate, posing a significant challenge to biological control of rice pests. This is largely due to the physiological and functional traits of its telotrophic ovarioles, which feature a centralized nutrient supply to ensure each oocyte obtains essential basic nutrients. Current studies on insect ovarioles primarily focus on hormonal regulation and gene expression; the cellular composition and spatial relationships within N. lugens ovariole tissues remain poorly understood. To illustrate the internal architecture of ovarioles and the intricate oogenesis process at nanoscale resolution, this study employed focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy for 3D volume reconstruction, overcoming limitations of traditional 2D electron microscopy. Using this advanced imaging technique, we systematically characterized key ovariole components including terminal filaments, trophocytes, germ cell clusters, three types of follicular cells, nutritive cords, and oocytes. Our findings reveal that rather than maintaining a continuous linkage, the nutritive cord transiently connects to the oocytes during specific developmental stages to facilitate nutrient transfer. An assembly of unique, cake-like phospholipoglycoproteins was identified within the oocytes, suggesting specialized energy storage mechanisms. The detailed 3D model elucidates the spatial relationship and relative position between various parts of the ovariole, offering novel insights into the mechanisms of oocyte growth and nutrient acquisition. These findings advance foundational knowledge of insect reproductive biology and provide a valuable framework for future research on pest control strategies targeting N. lugens reproduction.
褐飞虱（Nilaparvata lugens）繁殖率高，给水稻害虫的生物防治带来了重大挑战。这在很大程度上归因于其端滋式卵巢管的生理和功能特性，其特点是营养供应集中，以确保每个卵母细胞获得必需的基本营养。目前对昆虫卵巢管的研究主要集中在激素调节和基因表达方面；对褐飞虱卵巢管组织内的细胞组成和空间关系仍知之甚少。为了在纳米尺度分辨率下阐明卵巢管的内部结构和复杂的卵子发生过程，本研究采用聚焦离子束扫描电子显微镜进行三维体积重建，克服了传统二维电子显微镜的局限性。利用这种先进的成像技术，我们系统地表征了卵巢管的关键组成部分，包括端丝、滋养细胞、生殖细胞簇、三种滤泡细胞、营养索和卵母细胞。我们的研究结果表明，营养索并非保持连续连接，而是在特定发育阶段与卵母细胞短暂连接，以促进营养物质的转移。在卵母细胞内发现了一种独特的、蛋糕状的磷脂糖蛋白组装体，这表明存在专门的能量储存机制。详细的三维模型阐明了卵巢管各部分之间的空间关系和相对位置，为卵母细胞生长和营养获取机制提供了新的见解。这些发现推进了昆虫生殖生物学的基础知识，并为未来针对褐飞虱繁殖的害虫控制策略研究提供了有价值的框架。
