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495 Development 113, 495-501 (1991) Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 1991 Fate maps of the first quartet micromeres in the gastropod llyanassa obsoleta JOANN RENDER Department of Cell and Structural Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA and Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA Summary Cell fate specification in the gastropod mollusc llyanassa obsoleta involves both cell autonomous and inductive mechanisms, which depend on determinants localized first in the polar lobe and then in the D quadrant of the embryo. A complete cell lineage is lacking for this embryo and is essential for a critical interpretation of previous experimental results and an analysis of the mechanisms at the molecular level. Lineages of the first quartet micromeres were followed using Lucifer Yellow dextran as a tracer. The tracer was injected into individual first quartet micromeres using iontophoresis and patterns of fluorescence were analyzed in the larva after 8 days of development. Fluorescence was limited to head structures, including eyes, tentacles and velum. Structures on the left side were derived from la and Id micromeres; la gave rise to the left eye, including the lens. Right side structures were derived from the lc micromere and lb contributed to the apical plate between the eyes and symmetrically to both sides of the velum. First quartet lineage data are compared with results from previous cell ablation experiments and with lineage data from other species. Introduction micromeres (2a-2d) arise sinistrally and third quartet micromeres (3a-3d) arise dextrally, preceding the production first of the 4d (mesentoblast) cell, and then the other fourth quartet micromeres (4a-4c). Gastrulation is by epibole and is completed by the end of the second day (Tomlinson, 1987). Organogenesis follows for 5-6 days, resulting in a bilaterally symmetric veliger larva (Fig. 2) with approximately 1200-1400 cells (Collier, 1976). Polar lobe determinants in the D macromere are essential between fifth and sixth cleavage in the specification of cell fates, both autonomously in derivatives of the D cell and inductively on derivatives of the A, B and C cells (Clement, 1962, 1967, 1986a, 19866). As an example of the latter, when the polar lobe is removed during early cleavage, embryos fail to form eyes, which are derived from A and C cells. Both mechanisms seem to be temporally and spatially coincident in this embryo. The analysis of autonomous and inductive mechanisms of cell fate specification in /. obsoleta would benefit from cell lineage data. Currently this information can only be approximated by using lineage data from another prosobranch gastropod, Crepidula fornicata (Conklin, 1897), or by making inferences from cell ablation experiments (Clement, 1967, 1986a, 19866). Relying on cell ablation data for information on cell lineage is dangerous because part of the embryo has been removed, altering normal cell positions and Embryonic cell fates can be specified autonomously via localized morphogenetic determinants or inductively via cell-cell interactions (Davidson, 1986). It is common for both mechanisms to operate in a given embryo, as has been demonstrated for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although most cell fates are specified autonomously in C. elegans embryos, several examples of specification via cell-cell interactions have been demonstrated (Greenwald, 1989). These analyses were facilitated by knowledge of the complete cell lineage for the embryo (Sulston et al. 1983). Cell fates in the gastropod mollusc llyanassa obsoleta also are specified both autonomously and inductively. Both mechanisms are mediated by morphogenetic determinants that are first localized in an anucleate vegetal pole protrusion termed the polar lobe, which forms during early cleavage. By the end of the second cleavage, polar lobe determinants are incorporated exclusively into the D macromere, which is larger than the A, B and C macromeres. Three quartets of small micromeres are produced at the animal pole of the embryo during spiral cleavages that alternate in direction between clockwise (dextral) and counterclockwise (sinistral). The first quartet of micromeres (la-Id) are produced in a clockwise direction and the Id cell is smaller than the others (Fig. 1). Second quartet Key words: cell lineage, llyanassa, iontophoresis, micromere, fate map, gastropod. 496 J. Render B Fig. 1. 8-cell stage. (A) Fluorescence micrograph showing Id labeled with Lucifer Yellow dextran. Scale bar shows 100 /an. (B) Diagram showing macromeres (A-D) and micromeres (la-Id) with Id shaded. interactions. Such changes may lead to regulation or may trigger greater deficiencies, especially in embryos such as/. obsolete, in which some cell fates are specified by inductive interactions. Some lineage information for cells involved in the formation of the external shell was generated by marking cell surfaces with chalk particles (Cather, 1967); however, a complete fate map specific to /. obsoleta is essential for the interpretation of previous experimental and future molecular work. External markers such as chalk or vital dyes may shift position or fade, unlike intracellular markers such as fluorescent, high molecular weight dextrans, which provide unambiguous cell lineage data. In this study, individual first quartet micromeres were microinjected with Lucifer Yellow dextran and resulting patterns of fluorescence were analyzed at the larval stage 8 days later. Micromere lineages were followed exclusively because cell ablation experiments have indicated that the first three quartets give rise to all of the larval ectoderm and that the mesentoblast cell (4d) gives rise to mesodermal and endodermal structures; the other fourth quartet micromeres and the macromeres probably contribute to the endoderm and the yolky macromeres appear to be in part nutritive. An added advantage to labeling individual micromeres is that they are small and transparent and produce a clearly discernible, discrete pattern of fluorescence at later stages. When labeling data are compared with previous experimental work on /. obsoleta embryos and with lineage information from other gastropods, interesting differences emerge. For example, results from ablation experiments in /. obsoleta indicated that the Id micromere makes no apparent contribution to the larva (Clement, 1967); however, when Id is labeled, it is seen to contribute significantly to the left side of the larva. Similarly, based on lineage information from the related gastropod C. fornicata (Conklin, 1897), one would expect the right eye to originate from the lb micromere. Lineage tracing, however, demonstrates that this structure is derived from lc in /. obsoleta. Materials and methods Obtaining and rearing embryos I. obsoleta were collected near Woods Hole, Massachusetts and were maintained in aquaria containing a mixture of artificial and natural seawater or running natural seawater. The aquaria were kept at room temperature and i-1 clam or mussel was added daily as food. Egg capsules were collected and fertilized eggs were removed from them as described by Collier (1981). Embryos were reared individually in wells in glass spot plates containing seawater that had been passed through a 0.2/an filter (FSW) and supplemented with lOOunitsml"1 penicillin and 200/igmP 1 streptomycin. Control embryos were reared at a concentration of 6 embryos/ well. Spot plates were kept in the dark at 22°C in moist chambers. Embryos were transferred to wells of fresh antibiotic seawater every other day. Iontophoresis Anionic, fixable Lucifer Yellow dextran (6%, 10,000 MT, Molecular Probes) was filtered using a Spin-X unit (0.45/an, Costar) and kept in aliquots at — 20 °C. Pipets for injection were pulled from thin-walled capillaries with internal filaments (1.5 mm outside diameter, World Precision Instrument) to a tip diameter of approximately 0.2 /an using a P-87 puller (Sutter Instrument Co.). Pipets were back-filled with dextran and 3 M KC1 was added using a syringe. Pipet and reference electrodes were attached to a pulse generator (designed and provided by the Zoological Laboratory, Utrecht, The Netherlands), which produces a hyperpolarizing square wave pulse. Injected current was set at approximately 10 nA (100 mV) and the duration of each pulse was 0.3-0.4 s. The pulse generator was attached to an Ilyanassa cell lineage oscilloscope (model HM-205-2, Hameg Instruments, NY) so that changes in potential reflecting membrane penetration could be monitored. Injections were done under a stereomicroscope in a small plastic Petri dish that was filled with black wax (Fisher). Embryos were immobilized in depressions made in the wax. A Zeiss stereomicroscope was set-up for epifluorescence using an attachment that holds a mercury lamp (50W) and an excitation filter (BP 450-490 nm). Barrier filters (LP 520) were mounted on the eyepieces. Stereomicroscope fluorescence was used to monitor the progression of dextran injection. Pulsing for a period of 1-2 min usually was sufficient to label brightly a cell without injuring it. Most first quartet micromeres were injected at the 8-cell stage (Fig. 1); however, a few were injected after second quartet micromeres had been produced. First quartet micromeres do not divide until after the formation of second quartet micromeres. The outcome was unaffected by the stage when injected. Analysis After 8 days of development larvae were anesthetized in chlorobutanol (1 part in 2 parts FSW), and then werefixedin 10% formalin in FSW for lh at room temperature or overnight at 4°C. Following fixation, larvae were rinsed and mounted in deionized water under a cover slip supported with a thin layer of clay on all sides for viewing on the compound microscope using epifluorescence. Larvae were rolled around during analysis, but were oriented with the velum up for photography. Neofluar objectives (Zeiss) were used and images were recorded on Tri-X film (Kodak, 400 ASA) using a combination of epifluorescence and bright-field illumination. A more selective barrier filter (BP 515-565 nm) was used during compound microscope analysis to reduce background fluorescence. Results /. obsoleta embryonic cells have proven difficult to inject using traditional, pressure injection techniques. The addition of fluid through a relatively large micropipet tip frequently results in cell lysis. Microinjection using iontophoresis has been much more successful in these cells. Extremely small (0.1-0. ) 497 pipet tip diameters can be used and charged molecules, rather than bulk fluid, are delivered. Data from 35 experiments showed that success rates and embryo survival are good following iontophoretic microinjection. Micromeres survived penetration with a pipet in 108 (78 %) of 139 embryos. Transfer of Lucifer Yellow dextran, as seen using stereomicroscope epifluorescence, was successful in 94 (68%) of these embryos. Of the 94 embryos that developed to the larval stage and were examined at 8 days, 72 (77%) were perfectly normal. Successfully injected embryos were included in the analysis only if they developed normally and if fluorescence was restricted to the injected micromere. If injections were done too soon after a cell division, both daughter cells became fluorescent as the dextran passed through the remaining cytoplasmic bridge. Control, non-injected, embryos were reared as small groups in wells. Data from experiments in which half or more of the control embryos developed abnormally were not included in the analysis. In 45 experiments, a total of 254 of the 271 control embryos (94%) developed completely normally. Patterns of fluorescence following labeling of first quartet micromeres were remarkably consistent and were restricted to the head and velum, which is a bilateral, ciliated swimming structure (Table 1, Fig. 2). The analysis of labeled larvae was aided by Tomlinson's (1987) SEM description of morphological changes in /. obsoleta embryos during days 4-7 of development. A medial apical band of cilia is present, which divides the prototrochal (anterior) area into left and right halves. The dorsal part of this band appears to give rise to the head vesicle, which is less prominent in /. obsoleta than in many of the studied gastropod species. A part of the band ventral to this gives rise to the apical plate, a group of cells separating the left and right cephalic plates, which form parts of the left and right velum; eyes and tentacles arise from the bilateral cephalic plates. The ventral-most part of the median apical band extends laterally to form the ventral edges of the velum. Table 1. Fluorescent areas in larvae Cell labeled la Ib lc Left eye 19 0 1 _ _ - Left velum 20 0 0 _ _ Left dorsal edge velum 16 0 0 _ _ - Apical plate Ventral edges velum Near both eyes 14 4 2 22 0 21 It 19 19 i Id _ 0 22 2 _ 23 1 0 •Unable to determine t Lateral edges fluorescent tOne of these near right eye only § Also fluorescence under left eye _ 0 24 0 l 0 18 6 0 Right eye 0 20 0 0 Right velum - 20 0 0 Right dorsal edge velum Right tentacle 15 0 0 15 0 2 498 /. Render dorsal right left ventral Fig. 2. Diagram of a veliger larva, viewed anteriorly. v, velum; t, tentacle; sh, shell; 1, lens; e, eye; s, statocysts; f, foot. Fluorescent Patterns la Injection of Lucifer Yellow dextran into 20 la micromeres gave a consistent pattern on the left side of the larva (Table 1). Fluorescence was found in the left half of the velum (left cephalic plate) in all larvae and extended into the center (apical plate) in 14 (78%) of the larvae. The region containing the left eye, visible as a pigmented spot, was brightly fluorescent. The eye consists of a pigmented cup and a transparent lens. To verify that fluorescence in the area actually included the eye, the lens of the left eye was examined closely in 10 larvae and was found to be labeled in 9 of these (Fig. 3); the remaining case was ambiguous. The dorsal (upper) left edge of the velum always was labeled; however, this was not noted in earlier experiments since the level of fluorescence in this area was often lower than in other parts of the pattern (note that only 16 embryos were scored for this feature, as shown in Table 1). The use of Neofluar objectives increased the signal from this area. In one larva there was somefluorescencealong the right lateral edge of the mantle. The mantle tissue is underneath the shell and secretes shell material. lb The lb micromere was filled with Lucifer Yellow dextran in 22 embryos. The fluorescence pattern in 8-day larvae was extensive and symmetrical, centered Fig. 3. Patterns of fluorescence in 8-day larvae. (A) la was injected at the 8-cell stage. Lens of left eye is labeled (arrow). (B) lb was injected. (C) lc was injected. Lens of right eye is labeled (arrow). (D) Id was injected. Scale bars show 100 jon; B is at a different magnification, rv, right velum; lv, left velum; sh, shell; m, mantle edge (right). Ilyanassa cell lineage on the apical plate area between the eyes (Fig. 3). The ventral (lower) edges of the velum were labeled and the pattern extended up to, but appeared not to cross, the lower boundary of the la edge pattern. In one larva, the edge fluorescence was more lateral (Table 1) but was still symmetrical. In 2 larvae, there was some fluorescence along the left lateral edge of the mantle. Patterns of fluorescence were found on the velum under each eye and when closely examined, the lenses were unlabeled in 8 of 9 larvae. In the remaining larva, it was not possible to determine whether the lenses were fluorescent. In one larva, a fluorescent patch was found under the right but not the left eye. In another larva, fluorescence was below the left eye, but covered the right eye, although it is unknown whether the right lens was fluorescent. lc A fluorescent pattern on the right side was observed in 20 larvae following injection of the lc micromere (Table 1). This pattern was very similar to the la pattern seen on the left side of the larva, but it seemed a bit more extensive. Fluorescence extended from the apical plate to the right velum and the labeled region contained the right eye in all larvae. When the right lens was carefully examined in 9 larvae, it was fluorescent in 6 cases (Fig. 3), while in the other 3 cases it was impossible to determine. The dorsal right edge of the velum was labeled, and as in larvae from la-injected embryos, this part of the pattern was overlooked in earlier experiments (only 15 embryos were scored, as shown in Table 1). As with the la pattern, the area labeled along the dorsal right edge of the velum extended down to, but appeared not to cross, the upper boundary of the lb edge pattern (Fig. 3). The right tentacle, which unlike the left tentacle is present in 8-day larvae (Fig. 2), was labeled in 15 out of the 17 larvae that were closely examined; the remaining 2 cases were ambiguous. Other structures, often on the right side, were labeled in a few larvae. The right half of the foot and the right statocyst, a balance organ in the foot, were fluorescent in 2 cases, while in another case the lower edge of the foot on the right side was labeled. The dorsal mantle edge displayed some fluorescence in 2 larvae and the right and ventral edges of the mantle were labeled faintly in another larva. Id Fluorescent patterns were analyzed in 24 larvae following injection of the Id micromere. The pattern consistently observed was on the left side of the larva and overlapped the la pattern (Table 1, Fig. 3). Fluorescence was found in the left velum in 23 (96 %) of the larvae and extended into the apical plate in 18 (75 %). In one larva, most of the fluorescence coalesced behind the velum, with 2 lines of fluorescence extending from the velum toward the rest of the larva. In the typical pattern, fluorescence was near, usually under, the left eye and, unlike the la pattern, never included the lens (13 larvae examined). Another difference between the la and Id patterns was that the dorsal left 499 edge of the velum was not labeled following Id injection (Fig. 3). The mantle edge was labeled in 14 of the Id larvae. In 9 larvae, the right lateral mantle edge displayed some fluorescence; 3 of these also had labeled ventral edges and one had a labeled dorsal edge, all on the right side (Fig. 3). The ventral mantle edge on both sides was dimly fluorescent in 3 larvae and the entire mantle edge was labeled in 2 larvae. Discussion Fluorescent patterns in /. obsoleta larvae correspond well to the positions of first quartet derivatives in the embryo. The four quadrants of the early embryo, A-D, give rise to a bilaterally symmetric veliger larva; D and B quadrants form dorsal and ventral areas and A and C quadrants form left and right sides, respectively. Mirror-image patterns from la and lc derivatives arise on the left and right sides of the velum. Derivatives of lb are arranged bilaterally on the ventral side of the velum. Similarly one might expect Id derivatives to be bilaterally distributed on the dorsal side of the velum; however, the Id pattern is shifted toward the left side. This may be due to a relatively greater spiral displacement of Id to the left as it is produced from the large D macromere. The slight variability observed in the patterns of fluorescence is likely due to the death of micromere derivatives. This could go undetected in cases where there are no obvious defects in larval morphology when certain cells are missing, as might be expected for some lb and Id derivatives. Fluorescent dextrans may be released from the injured cell(s) and become dispersed or coalesce to form aggregates in the embryo. Foot and statocyst fluorescence in a few lc larvae is probably due to the undetected passage of dextrans from lc to the C macromere following injection. Such patterns of labeling are expected for the 2c and 3c micromeres, which are produced later by the C cell (Clement, 1967; unpublished data). Ablation experiments in /. obsoleta and in another prosobranch gastropod, Bithynia tentaculata, in which the entire first quartet of micromeres was killed with a glass needle at the 8-cell stage, resulted in larvae lacking head structures including eyes, tentacles and velum (van Dam and Verdonk, 1982; Sweet and Boyer, 1990). Although lineage data are consistent with these results, significant differences exist when data from the ablation of individual first quartet micromeres are considered. The ablation of Id in /. obsoleta appeared to have no effect on larval development in the three cases reported by Clement (1967), although ablation of Id in B. tentaculata (van Dam and Verdonk, 1982) resulted in embryos that had a reduction in the left side of the head and that often lacked the left eye. These defects are similar to those observed following ablation of la and are consistent with lineage information from /. obsoleta. Although Id normally does not contribute to the left eye in /. obsoleta, its descendants contribute to the left velum (Fig. 3). Since the fates of la and Id overlap 500 J. Render (parts of the apical plate and left velum), normal larvae may have resulted following ablation of Id in /. obsoleta because of regulation by la descendants. It is also possible that the region of velum contributed by Id, if missing, would be difficult to detect. The very small sample size (3 cases) makes the ablation results difficult to interpret with confidence. A low level of fluorescence was observed along the mantle edge in a few larvae from la-, lb- or lc-injected embryos and in many larvae from Id-injected embryos. Cell deletion and marking experiments have shown that the 2c and 2d micromeres give rise to external shellforming tissue, including the mantle edge (Clement, 1967; Cather, 1967). There was no indication that the deletion of any first quartet micromeres resulted in shell abnormalities (Clement, 1967). First quartet micromeres, notably Id, may play a small role in normal shell formation that is not detected when these cells are deleted. In other cases, data from ablation experiments and lineage analysis were in agreement. When the la micromere was ablated in /. obsoleta at the 8-cell stage, resulting 7-day-old larvae lacked the left eye and left dorsal part of the velum, but appeared quite normal in other respects (Clement, 1967). Embryos with an ablated lc micromere gave rise to larvae missing the right eye and tentacle and the right dorsal part of the velum. These results agree completely with the la and lc lineages, which contribute to the left eye and dorsal left velum and right eye, tentacle and right, dorsal velum, respectively (Fig. 3). Results from the ablation of lb also agree well with the lineage of this cell. In larvae from embryos lacking lb, the apical plate region between the eyes was reduced, in some cases quite severely, resulting in the unusually close medial placement of the eyes. Ablations of la, lb and lc micromeres in B. tentaculata gave similar results (Cather et al. 1976; van Dam and Verdonk, 1982). Information from cell lineage analyses of a few other gastropod molluscs is available and can be compared with the /. obsoletafirstquartet data. No lineage tracers were used in these studies, which consisted of observing cell divisions and analyzing embryos that werefixedand stained at various stages. Among existing lineage work, Conklin's (1897) analysis of Crepidula fornicata seems most useful for comparison, since both /. obsoleta and C. fornicata are marine prosobranch gastropods, both form polar lobes during early development and both form free-swimming veliger larvae. Conklin's assessment of the origin of head structures in C. fornicata agrees in many respects with the lineage data generated for /. obsoleta, although some significant differences exist. Conklin believed that the right eye in C. fornicata formed from descendants of lb, unlike the lc origin demonstrated in /. obsoleta. In C. fornicata, Id made no obvious contribution to larval structures although, in /. obsoleta, Id contributes to the apical plate and left velum. A reexamination of the C. fornicata lineage using fluorescent tracers may help resolve this inconsistency. No lineage data exist for B. tentaculata; however, one would expect cell fates to be similar to those in /. obsoleta. If Id were labeled with a fluorescent dextran in a B. tentaculata embryo, it seems likely that fluorescence would be found in the left cephalic plate and, unlike in /. obsoleta, would include the left eye. Discrepancies between cell ablation and blastomere isolation (partial embryo) experiments in /. obsoleta may be better understood in light of lineage data. When CD half embryos were isolated at the 2-cell stage, 30-40% of the resulting larvae formed two eyes (Clement, 1956; Render, 1989). In larvae from BD half embryos that were created at the 4-cell stage, 11% formed two eyes (McCain and Cather, 1989) and some D partial embryos gave rise to larvae that formed one eye (Clement, 1956). This seems to contradict results from micromere ablation experiments (Clement, 1967) and lineage analysis, which together demonstrate that eyes are derived from the la and lc micromeres. Lineage data also show that Id contributes to the left velum near the eye and lb contributes to both right and left velum near the eyes. It seems that regulation may occur when the A quadrant or A and C quadrants are removed before first quartet micromeres are given off at third cleavage. In these situations, Id may fill in for la in the formation of the left eye and lb may fill in for lc in the formation of the right eye. Interestingly, one lb larva in this study appeared to have fluorescence over the right eye (Table 1). By the third cleavage, regulation does not occur following removal of the la or lc micromere; the fates of these cells seem to have become specified by this stage. The fates of la and lc do not seem to be fully determined until a later stage, however. By ablating the D macromere at successively later stages, Clement (1962) demonstrated that inductive influences from this cell, which contains morphogenetic determinants from the polar lobe, are required until between the fifth and sixth cleavages. Before this stage ablation of the D macromere results in larvae that lack eyes and many other lobe-dependent structures. Cell lineage analysis in /. obsoleta provides an essential baseline of information on normal development to which data from experimental manipulations can be compared. Lineage analysis will be extended to other quartets of micromeres in /. obsoleta to complete the data on normal development. Combining lineage tracing with experimental manipulations, such as cell ablation or the redistribution of polar lobe determinants (Render, 1989), should prove useful in studying mechanisms of cell fate specification in /. obsoleta. For example, experiments are in progress in which the micromeres (lc or Id) of a CD embryo are labeled to determine the origin of the extra eye that appears in many resulting larvae. Is the Id lineage converted to a la lineage in such embryos as might be expected? If so, how is the conversion accomplished? Cell lineage information will also be valuable in analyzing these mechanisms at the molecular level. I am grateful to Florenci Serras and Jo van den Biggelaar for instruction in iontophoresis and for their gracious hospitality during my visit to Utrecht. Barbara Boyer and Ilyanassa cell lineage Richard Sanger provided technical advice and generously loaned equipment. James Cather and Jonathan Henry and two anonymous reviewers offered helpful critiques of the manuscript. This work was supported by a Steps Toward Independence Summer Fellowship from the Marine Biological Laboratory and by NIH grants HD23104 and HD27328. References CATHER, J. N. (1967). Cellular interactions in the development of the shell gland of the gastropod Ilyanassa. J. exp. Zool. 166, 205-224. CATHER, J. N., VERDONK, N. H. AND ZWAAN, G. (1976). Cellular interactions in the early development of the gastropod eye, as determined by deletion experiments. Malacol. Rev. 9, 77-84. CLEMENT, A. C. (1956). Experimental studies on germinal localization in Ilyanassa II. The development of isolated blastomeres. 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Development of Ilyanassa obsoleta embryos after equal distribution of polar lobe material at first cleavage. Devi Biol. 132, 241-250. SULSTON, J. E . , SCHIERENBERG, E . , WHITE, J. G . AND THOMSON, J. N. (1983). The embryonic lineage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Devi Biol. 100, 64-119. SWEET, H. C. AND BOYER, B. C. (1990). Single and multiple micromere deletions in first quartet embryos of Ilyanassa obsoleta. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab. Woods Hole 179, 222. TOMLINSON, S. G. (1987). Intermediate stages in the embryonic development of the gastropod Ilyanassa obsoleta: a scanning electron microscope study. Int. J Invert. Reprod. Dev. 12, 253-2S0. (Accepted 27 June 1991)