Sperm Morphology and Natural Biomolecules from Marine Snail Telescopium telescopium: a Phylogenetic Perspective Morfología de los Espematozoides y Biomoléculas Naturales del Caracol Marino Telescopium telescopium: una Perspectiva Filogenética

SUMMARY : Biochemical analysis of the cytosol fraction isolated from the ovotestis/spermatheca glands of marine molluscTelescopium telescopium and it’s sperm microtubular structure revealed that relatively similar biomolecules like different enzymes,hormones, minerals and structures of the sperm are also exist in humans. Moreover, antiserum of the cytosol fraction was found to cross-react with the human sperm antigen indicated presence of a common sperm surface antigenicity between these two diversified species.These findings might support and / or hypothesize about the origin and diversification of the vertebrate molecules from its anc estral form(s) from the invertebrates, and basic physiological functions of these ancestral biomolecules including some of the cellular structuresplausibly remain the same regardless their structural changes even after evolution. KEY WORDS: Phylogeny; Telescopium telescopium; Biomolecules; Spermatozoa; Mammal. INTRODUCTION The evolution of successive vertebrate groups fromthe primitive form has been accompanied by majorenvironmental, taxonomical, biochemical andphysiological changes, even in their modes of reproduction,including gametic form. Therefore, phylogenetic studiesincluding spermatozoan morphology, their formation andfunctions in molluscs are also important in-view of thetaxonomical purposes (Franzen, 1970; 1977; 1983;Popham, 1979) which reflects the probable ideas on thephylogenetic evolutions for understanding the biologicaland /or adaptive significance of the spermatozoa and othercells from the lower animals to higher animals. Hence,physiological, biochemical, structural properties as wellas the defense mechanisms of different cells, their natureand interactions in invertebrates are very important inrelation to phylogeny and ontogeny to intercept the basicmolecular mechanisms that has evolved in mammalsthrough the ages. Therefore, the aim of this study was tosynthesize the diverse observation to provide insight intothe types of biomolecules present as well as morphologicalfeatures of the sperm cell from Telescopium telescopium,and cross-reactivity of the spermatheca/ ovotestis cytosolantiserum with human sperm antigen which may pave theway for obtaining some basic informations as plausibleaid in the determination of phylogenetic relationshipbetween the mollusc and mammals.