How do female Littorina snails store sperm?
Detta är ett förslag på examensarbete för kandidat- eller masternivå vid Institutionen för marina vetenskaper. Examensarbeten vid Institutionen för marina vetenskaper görs självständigt och bedöms individuellt.
Subject: Marine Biology
Level: Master's or Bachelor's
Supervisors: Luisa Kumpitsch and Erica Leder
Project Background
Littorina snails show a unique sperm biology. They have two types of sperm: the fertilizing sperm called eusperm and a non-fertilizing cell called parasperm, whose function is yet unknown. Littorina females mate with several males and can store sperm for a long time, which means that sperm competition (when sperm cells compete for the fertilization of an egg) is an important mechanism in the reproduction of these animals.
However, during mating, there is evidence that the eusperm detach from the parasperm, and parasperm do not enter the female reproductive tract. We wish to explore this in more detail to discover the function of parasperm in these taxa.
Project Description
You would sample snails and dissect females to examine their sperm storage organs. You will use imaging techniques like light or fluorescence microscopy to investigate its content. You can measure sperm morphometrics, investigate the structure of the sperm (e.g. how the parasperm looks like in the female), or look at sperm performance. You can investigate different species and/or two ecotypes within species to compare female sperm storage.
Contact
Erica Leder
Email: erica.leder@gu.se