Development and secretory nature of seminal vesicle during sexual maturation in Indian honeybee, Apis cerana indica F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The development of the seminal vesicles in drone honeybee, Apis cerana indica has been investigated by using light and electron microscopy and biochemical estimation. The seminal vesicles were small, globular, paired secretory bodies fully-developed in the newly emerged adult drones. The wall was mainly composed of outer thick muscle layer and inner thin epithelial layer with tall columnar cells. The lumen completely filled with sperms was noticed in the mature adult drones. It was observed that the seminal vesicle increased in size from pupal to the adult stage and showed their maximal size in 12-day old adult drones. The biochemical techniques demonstrated that the secretion of the epithelial cells was the mixture of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. It was conclude that the protein forming the major composition in the secretion of the seminal vesicles. SDS-PAGE revealed about 15 protein bands of the molecular weight ranging from 3 to 205 kD in the secretion.