Sains Malaysiana 48(4)(2019): 727–733

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4804-04

 

Ultrastructure on the Light Organ of Tropical Synchronize Firefly, Pteroptyx tener

(Ultrastruktur Organ Cahaya pada Kelip-kelip Tropika Berkelip Sederap, Pteroptyx tener)

 

NUR KHAIRUNNISA BINTI SALLEH^1,2, NURUL WAHIDA BINTI OTHMAN^1,2, NORELA BINTI SULAIMAN^1,2,3* & ISMAIL BIN SAHID²

 

¹Center of Insect Systematics, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

²School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

³Fraser`s Hill Research Centre, Faculty Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

Received: 4 September 2018/Accepted: 8 February 2019

 

ABSTRACT

The ultrastructure of the light organ Pteroptyx tener was examined using a Carl Zeiss Axioscope microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The light organ of the male and female P. tener comprises of two layers namely the photogenic layer and the dorsal (reflector) layer. Photogenic layer consists of several elements, i.e. photocyte, differentiated zone, cylinder, trachea and trachea end cell. The photocyte is the main source of the emitted light. This layer is packed with photocyte granules except at a differentiated zone that have low granules but high number of mitochondria. The reflector layer comprised of trachea and the cytoplasm of the cells in this layer is densely packed with spherical uric acid granule. The finding of this study has shown that P. tener have similar general histology structure of light organ of fireflies species that produce sharp flashes. However, the cylinder and trachea end cell may have significant capacities in controlling the luminescent creation in the fireflies that need to be investigate further.

 

Keywords: Bioluminescence; Coleoptera; insect histology; Lampyridae; light organ

 

ABSTRAK

Ultrastruktur organ cahaya kelip-kelip Pteroptyx tener ini dikaji dengan menggunakan mikroskop cahaya Axioscope dan mikroskop elektron penghantaran (TEM). Organ cahaya kelip-kelip jantan dan betina spesies ini terdiri daripada dua lapisan iaitu lapisan fotogenik dan lapisan dorsal yang juga dikenali sebagai lapisan pemantul. Lapisan fotogenik terdiri daripada beberapa unsur utama iaitu fotosit, zon pembeza, silinder, trakea dan sel hujung trakea. Fotosit adalah sel tempat proses bioluminesens berlaku. Sitoplasma sel ini padat dengan granul fotosit kecuali pada zon pembeza fotosit yang mempunyai bilangan mitokondria terbanyak berbanding pada bahagian sel yang lain. Lapisan pemantul terdiri daripada trakea dan sel yang dipenuhi dengan granul bulat asid urik. Kajian ini mendapati, struktur histologi umum organ cahaya P. tener mempunyai persamaan dengan struktur organ cahaya spesies kelip-kelip lain yang menghasilkan kelipan cahaya yang pantas dan teratur. Struktur silinder dan sel hujung trakea pada organ cahaya kelip-kelip mungkin mempunyai peranan penting dalam pengawalaturan penghasilan cahaya secara serentak dan kajian lanjut amat diperlukan.

 

Kata kunci: Bioluminesens; Coleoptera; histologi serangga; Lampyridae; organ cahaya

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*Corresponding author; email: vozela@ukm.edu.my