Krystyna Zuwała

Jagiellonian University | UJ · Department of Comparative Anatomy

Osteoglossiformes (bonytongue fishes) possess many morphological specializations associated with functions such as airbreathing, feeding, and electroreception. The olfactory organ also varies among species, notably in the family Osteoglossidae. Herein, we describe the olfactory organ of an osteoglossid, Heterotis niloticus, to compare it with the o...

The evolutionary causes behind the development of taste discs (TDs), recognized as the only gustatory organs in metamorphosed Batrachia (Caudata and Anura), have yet to be determined. Taste buds (TBs) serve as the gustatory organs in aquatic batrachian larvae, as well as in both larval and adult caecilians (Gymnophiona) inhabiting either aquatic en...

Ciliated and non‐ciliated mechanosensory cells in invertebrates have intricate cytoskeletal structures that, combined with microtubules, act as a mechanical link between external stimulus and signal processing. As a result, they can perceive forces like touch, cuticle deformation, gravity and sound. Through the expression of antibodies against sero...

This work reports on the structural characteristics of the respiratory gas bladder of the osteoglossiform fish Heterotis niloticus. The bladder-vertebrae relationships are also analysed. A slit-shaped orifice in the mediodorsal pharyngeal wall is surrounded by a muscle sphincter and serves as a glottis-like opening to the gas bladder. The dorsolate...

Heterotis niloticus is a basal teleost, belonging to the Osteoglossidae family, which is widespread in many parts of Africa. The digestive tract of H. niloticus presents similar characteristics to those of higher vertebrates, exhibiting a gizzard-like stomach and lymphoid aggregates in the intestinal lamina propria. The adaptive immune system of te...

The recognition and elimination of invading pathogens are vital for host survival. Macrophages play a central role in host protection and cells functionally reminiscent of vertebrate macrophages are present in all multicellular organisms. A pattern responsible for bacterial recognition found on the surface of macrophages is CD14. These cells posses...

We have conducted a morphological and immunohistochemical study of the gills of juvenile specimens of the obligate air-breathing fish Heterotis niloticus. The study has been performed under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The gills showed a reduced respiratory surface area by development of an interlamellar cellular mass (ILCM). The ILCM persisted...

A morphological study of the alimentary tract, from the oropharyngeal cavity to the rectum, including the attached glands, of African bony-tongue, Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829) was carried out by gross anatomy, and light microscope analysis. This study aimed to give a deeper knowledge of the alimentary tract morphological features of this spec...

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found widespread in nature and possess antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. Due to their multifunctional properties, these peptides are a focus of growing body of interest and have been characterized in several fish species. Due to their similarities in amino-acid composition and amphipathic design, it ha...

We present comparative analysis of the micro-and macro-morphology of the olfactory organ of six neoselachians living in different habitats: two freshwater benthopelagic batoids, Potamotrygon motoro and Potamotrygon hystrix (Potamotrygonidae) as well as four species of sharks occupying the outer continental shelves and upper slopes Mustelus mustelus...

Heteropneustes fossilis is an air-breathing teleost inhabiting environments with very poor O2 conditions, and so it has evolved to cope with hypoxia. In the gills and respiratory air-sac, the sites for O2 sensing and the response to hypoxia rely on the expression of acetylcholine (Ach) acting via its nicotinic receptor (nAChR). This study examined...

Acetylcholine (Ach) is the main neurotransmitter in the neuronal cholinergic system and also works as a signaling molecule in non-neuronal cells and tissues. The diversity of signaling pathways mediated by Ach provides a basis for understanding the biology of the cholinergic epithelial cells and immune cells in the gill of the species studied. NECs...

Osteoglossomorpha, an ancient Teleostei group, exhibits many ancestral structural features. Herein, we describe the diversity in morphology of olfactory organs of air‐breathing Pantodon buchholzi, Arapaima gigas, and Gymnarchus niloticus in terms of adaptations to short ventures out of water and compare the results with the water‐breathing Osteoglo...

Morphological and immunohistochemical studies were conducted on the alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris, which is representative of the family Salamandridae. The aim of the study was to determine the differences in olfactory organs structural properties, especially in the olfactory epithelium (OE) of the main olfactory chamber (MOC) and the vomerona...

This article studies the morphological remodeling of olfactory organs in the fire salamander (Salamandridae, Caudata), from the larval stages of ontogeny to the adult and throughout the course of the annual cycle. The fire salamander exhibits adaptations to the aquatic environment during premetamorphic life and terrestrial adaptations after metamor...

Herein, we describe the micro‐ and macro‐morphology of the olfactory organ in broad‐nosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle) with a comparison of this organ between males and females during breeding season. With 8 adult males, 8 females, and 7 pregnant males collected during the breeding season from the Baltic sea as our samples, our research was conduct...

Morphological observations (LM, TEM, SEM) of olfactory organs were conducted on three representatives of the family Salamandridae which differ in post-metamorphic habitat: the terrestrial fire salamander Salamandra salamandra, the semiaquatic alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris and the semiaquatic Himalayan newt Tylototriton verrucosus which exhibit...

We investigated the distribution and morphology of taste organs of the Colorado River toad, Incilius alvarius, in a comparative approach. We also examined whether the age of metamorphosed individuals affected taste disc density and the area of sensory zones. Although taste disc morphology appeared similar to previously studied bufonids, we demonstr...

Syngnathidae belong to the Actinopterygii class. This family includes pipefishes, seehorses and seadragons. In Syngnathidae, there are distinguishable 298 species. Most of the family members live near the coasts of almost all continents in the shallow waters of coral reefs and seagrass areas. Fishes from Syngnathidae family are characterized by an...

Przedstawiciele rodziny salamandrowatych od wieków intrygowali badaczy. Pierwsza zachowana deskrypcja salamander, spisana przez Pliniusza Starszego w I w. naszej ery, opisywała gwieździście ubarwione jaszczury, pojawiające się na powierzchni ziemi jedynie w trakcie ulewnych deszczy. Opowiadane przez wieki historie o tajemniczych stworzeniach, wybie...

Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą 72(1): 49-59, 2016 Różański J., Żuwała K. Batrachofauna of the Ciecień massif – environmental researches in 2014–2015 SUMMARY This paper presents the results of environmental researches conducted during the spring of 2014 and 2015 for the presence of amphibians. Observation had been conducted in permanent and temporary pon...

The latest research on direct developing caecilian and anuran species indicate presence of only one generation of taste organs during their ontogeny. This is distinct from indirect developing batrachians studied thus far, which possess taste buds in larvae and anatomically distinct taste discs in metamorphs. This study is a description of the tongu...

This book on ancient fishes unites the work of many specialists coming from different areas of biology.Hagfishes, lungfishes,Chondrosteans and Holosteans constitute the main subject of study.Phylogenetic relationships have mostly been revisited in the light of new molecular and developmental data.The morphology of several organs has also been revis...

Previous research on amphibian taste organs concerned amphibians with a biphasic life history, that is, with larval period and metamorphosis. Direct developing frog species, such as Eleutherodactylus coqui, undergo a cryptic metamorphosis before hatching, and many larval-specific features are vestigial or have been lost entirely from their ontogeny...

Abstract Amphibian species richness has significantly decreased in many areas in recent decades. Therefore understanding population dynamics is key in preventing declines in species diversity. The amphibian fauna of Tatra National Park (TPN) was surveyed repeatedly in the twentieth century, with the most recent data collected about 30 years ago. Th...

An immunohistochemical study of the cutaneous glands of the caecilian Typhlonectes natans was conducted. Analyses of nerve fibres revealed that adrenergic and galanin-positive axons innervate the MECs and mediate their contraction. These glands may represent one of the main targets of the adrenergic ganglion cells and reflect the prominent pregangl...

Amia calva is the only living representative of Amiiformes order. It is a species having a swim bladder transformed into a lung, so it can breathe an air. It gives him a high tolerance to varying oxygen conditions and the ability to survive even in the water almost devoid of oxygen. The aim of the study was to examine whether different oxygen condi...

Rapid urbanization processes are not neutral to the environment, especially amphibians. Their double-environment lifestyle makes them particularly vulnerable to negative changes in the environment. Inventory research on batrachofauna carried out in urban areas usually provides data on its current state, but there is little information about changes...

Two generations of gustatory organs occur during amphibian ontogeny in frogs and salamanders (Anura and Caudata), and are classified as taste buds or taste discs. Taste buds are present in larval forms, whereas taste discs are typical for adults. The little research done on Gymnophiona suggests that only taste buds are present in aquatic forms (lar...

Two generations of gustatory organs occur during amphibian ontogeny in frogs and salamanders (Anura and Caudata), and are classified as taste buds or taste discs. Taste buds are present in larval forms, whereas taste discs are typical for adults. The little research done on Gymnophiona suggests that only taste buds are present in aquatic forms (lar...

The study provides the first comprehensive information on the immunohistochemistry and ultrastructure of the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the mudskipper, Periophthalmus barbarus. The olfactory sensory epithelium is in the form of islets which cover part of the olfactory canal running from the upper lip toward the eye, where large single acc...

The Oxudercinae (Gobiidae, Perciformes) is a young, monophyletic subfamily of specialized actinoptery-gians that inhabit the tidal zone. They include species adapted for periodic life out of water and alsotypically aquatic species. Despite close phylogenetic affinities, many differences have been describedeven between species from the same genus (e...

The skin is the primary interface between the body and the environment, and has a central role in host defence. In the epidermis, Langerhans’ cells form an interconnecting network of dendritic cells, that play a central role within inflammatory and immune responses of terrestrial and aquatic mammals, but few studies aimed at their characterization...

Kuciel, M., Żuwała, K., Jakubowski, M. 2011. A new type of fish olfactory organ structure in Periophthalmus barbarus (Oxudercinae). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92: 276–280. The study describes a new type of olfactory organ structure in teleost fish, the Atlantic mudskipper Periophthalmus barbarus (Gobiidae). The nasal cavity in this species consist...

The expression of several neuronal intermediate filament (NIF) proteins was investigated in the tongue of metamorphosing tadpoles (stage 38-45 of Gosner) and in adult individuals of the frog, Rana esculenta by means of immunohistochemistry. Results showed that nerve fibres at early stages of tongue development expressed peripherin (a NIF protein us...

Gustatory organs of the taste bud type occur in the epithelial lining of the oropharyngeal cavity of alpine newt larvae. They resemble the taste buds of bony fish, both in appearance (as revealed by scanning electron microscopy) and in detailed internal structure (seen on transmission electron micropscopy). During metamorphosis, at stage 55 of deve...

Taste buds are gustatory organs in the vast majority of vertebrates. Until recently it has been thought that only Anura are equipped with taste disks. Our cytomorphological studies (SEM, TEM) allowed to establish that: (1) after metamorphosis both Urodela and Anura have gustatory organs of the taste disk type; (2) in tadpoles and larvae there are t...

Measurements of pectoral fin (PF) growth in relation to standard body length (SL) for Comephorus dybowskii (SL: 14-126 mm) and C. baicalensis (SL: 22-173 mm) were made and compared with corresponding data obtained for 13 other Baikalian cottoid species (sculpins). The allometry for the PF/SL relationships (Y = a + bX) is clearly biphasic. Expressed...

In the development of Hynobius dunni there are two consecutive generations of the tongue and two generations of gustatory organs (taste buds and taste disks). The anlage of the developing secondary tongue appears just in front of the free ending of the primary tongue beginning at the larval developmental stage 62. From stage 67, a gradual reduction...

In the tadpole of Pelobates fuscus the process of tongue formation starts at the 32nd developmental stage. In more advanced stages (older than 38th) fast anterior and faucial growth of the tongue fold has been observed. This process is accompanied by the development of the gustatory organs. The dorsal surface of the tongue fold, smooth at the begin...

Differentiation of the lingual taste discs (TDs) was studied in tadpoles of Rana esculenta, Hyla arborea and Pelobatesfuscus by means of LM, TEM, and SEM. The process of differentiation of mucous cells (MCs) within a TD anlage was investigated subsequently from 39th to 46th Gosner's developmental stage. In R. esculenta and P. fuscus, the MCs are di...

From the 38th developmental stage of the tadpole of Rana esculenta the process of tongue formation consists in the fast growth of the lining of the oral cavity floor anteriorly and faucially. This process is accompanied by the development of taste organs on the dorsal side of the tongue. At developmental stages 39-42 taste disc anlages are covered...

Morphological studies presented here provide additional cytological evidence that in the postnatal development of Salamandra salamandra there are two successive generations of taste organs: premetamorphic taste buds (TBs) in larval forms and taste disks (TDs) in postmetamorphic animals. The TBs have been found in the epithelium of the whole orophar...

Ultrastructural studies of taste organs in tadpoles of Bombina variegata indicate that these are taste buds (TBs). They occur in the apical parts of papillae of the mouth cavity lining. Each taste bud consists of taste cells and supporting cells; no basal cells were found. In the sensory area of taste bud there are two types of sensory cells: cells...

The developmental changes in the lining of the oral cavity in the tadpoles of the common toad have been investigated by means of electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). The topography of different types of the premetamorphic papillae on both the palatal and mandibular sides of the oral cavity have been described, starting from Gosner's developmental stage...

Morphometric investigations of the gill apparatus in the pelagic Baikal sculpins (Cottocomephorinae) reveal a relatively large gill respiratory area (GRSA). Allometric relationship between GRSA and body weight is expressed by the equation: Y = 746.61W0.918 for C. inermis and that Y = 655.68W0.913 for C. grewingki. In calculations per body weight un...

The ultrastructure and quantitative distribution of the taste buds (TBs) were studied in the oropharyngeal cavity and in skin from the head of the tench. All TBs are of similar structure, following an orthodox plan: the basal cells (1-2) are the basis of the bud, and vertically elongated gustatory cells and supporting cells span from the basal memb...

In tadpoles of Rana temporaria two successive generations of taste organs: taste buds (TBs) and taste disks were studied. The TBs are located in the apices of oral premetamorphic papillae. Each TB consists of vertically elongated receptor cells (probably taste) and supporting cells. No basal (Merkel) cells were observed there. Morphologically, two...

In tadpoles ofRana temporaria two successive generations of taste organs: taste buds (TBs) and taste disks were studied. The TBs are located in the apices of oral premetamorphic papillae. Each TB consists of vertically elongated receptor cells (probably taste) and supporting cells. No basal (Merkel) cells were observed there. Morphologically, two t...

Ultrastructural studies of egg envelopes in four species of harvestmen have shown that a spongy vitelline envelope secreted by the oocyte appears on the oocyte surface at the beginning of vitellogenesis. As the oocytes grow, characteristic changes in the thickness and structure of the vitelline envelope can be observed. The homogeneous vitelline en...