[The morphofunctional changes in the ovarioles of blood-sucking mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) during oogenesis. 4. The cells of the ovariole lumen].

Lumen cells were found in female ovarioles of 15 bloodsucking mosquitoes studied, that were called so because of their similarity with the cells found by R. King in Drosophila melanogaster. The mosquito lumen cells differ by the morphology and position in the ovariole. Seven morphologic variants were distinguished: (1) irregular-shaped cells in the ovarian filament; (2) large spheroid cells in ovariolar filament; (3) round cells under ovariolar membrane near the connective stems or end pedicle; (4) drop-shaped cells, attached by their 'tail' to the ovariole; (5) 'lenticular' (in the transverse section) cells, often attached to the ovariole; (6) kidney-shaped cells spread on ovariolar surface; (7) large round cells in egg sac granulated sites. The authors suggest that all these cells may be referred to the same type, possibly to polygonal phagocytic cells in different periods of their activity. These cells seem to play an important role in abortive oogenesis processes in mosquitoes. The more abnormal is ovariolar function, the more lumen cells this ovariole contains. Such cells were the most incident in Anopheles females: sometimes a single ovariole contained as many as 15-17 lumen cells.