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Background: Syllids are a species rich annelid family possessing remarkable regenerative ability, which is not only the response after traumatic injury, but also a key step during the life cycle of several syllid taxa. In these animals the posterior part of the body becomes an epitoke and is later detached as a distinct unit named stolon. Such a sexual reproductive mode is named schizogamy or stolonization. The prostomium and the proventricle, a modified foregut structure, have been proposed to have a control function during this process, though the concrete mechanisms behind it have never been elucidated. Results: By using different experimental set-ups, histology and immunohistochemistry combined with subsequent cLSM analyzes, we investigate and document the regeneration and stolonization in specimens of Typosyllis antoni that were amputated at different levels throughout the antero-posterior body axis. The removal of the anterior end including the proventricle implies an incomplete anterior regeneration as well as severe deviations from the usual reproductive pattern, i.e. accelerated stolonization, masculinization and the occurrence of aberrant stolons. The detailed anatomy of aberrant stolons is described. A histological study of the proventricle revealed no signs of glandular or secretory structures. The ventricle and the caeca are composed of glandular tissue but they are not involved in the reproductive and regenerative processes. Conclusions: As in other investigated syllids, the proventricle region has a significant role during stolonization and reproduction processes in Typosyllis antoni. When the proventricle region is absent, anterior and posterior regeneration are considerably deviated from the general patterns. However, proventricle ultrastructure does not show any glandular component, thereby questioning a direct involvement of this organ itself in the control of reproduction and regeneration. Our findings offer a comprehensive starting point for further studies of regeneration and reproductive control in syllids as well as annelids in general.

The aim of this study is to provide a further insight into influence of environment on clonal plants. The study focuses particularly on effects of fertilization level and light availability on production and growth of clonal organs. Three experiments were carried out within the study, targeted to elicit influence of these environmental conditions or clonal interactions on six species of clonal plants. Interspecies dependencies on these conditions was compared, regarding habitat occurrence of these species. A comparison was made also between species producing rhizomes and stolons. The experiments revealed that five of six studied species show significant relationship among at least one environmental condition and parameters of clonal reproduction. Most of the species showed higher elongation and production of clonal organs in relation to fertilization level. On the contrary, only three species reacted significantly to the light availability level by alternation of at least one parameter of clonal reproduction and the light availability level affected each species differently. A strong influence on production and elongation of clonal organs had also a size of a plant. There was not found significant difference in influence of environmental conditions on clonal reproduction among plant families. It...

Background: Syllids are a species rich annelid family possessing remarkable regenerative ability, which is not only the response after traumatic injury, but also a key step during the life cycle of several syllid taxa. In these animals the posterior part of the body becomes an epitoke and is later detached as a distinct unit named stolon. Such a sexual reproductive mode is named schizogamy or stolonization. The prostomium and the proventricle, a modified foregut structure, have been proposed to have a control function during this process, though the concrete mechanisms behind it have never been elucidated. Results: By using different experimental set-ups, histology and immunohistochemistry combined with subsequent cLSM analyzes, we investigate and document the regeneration and stolonization in specimens of Typosyllis antoni that were amputated at different levels throughout the antero-posterior body axis. The removal of the anterior end including the proventricle implies an incomplete anterior regeneration as well as severe deviations from the usual reproductive pattern, i.e. accelerated stolonization, masculinization and the occurrence of aberrant stolons. The detailed anatomy of aberrant stolons is described. A histological study of the proventricle revealed no signs of glandular or secretory structures. The ventricle and the caeca are composed of glandular tissue but they are not involved in the reproductive and regenerative processes. Conclusions: As in other investigated syllids, the proventricle region has a significant role during stolonization and reproduction processes in Typosyllis antoni. When the proventricle region is absent, anterior and posterior regeneration are considerably deviated from the general patterns. However, proventricle ultrastructure does not show any glandular component, thereby questioning a direct involvement of this organ itself in the control of reproduction and regeneration. Our findings offer a comprehensive starting point for further studies of regeneration and reproductive control in syllids as well as annelids in general.

The study is focused on comparative ecology of three closely related species from Myosotis palustris group. Importance of various functional traits of individual species was evaluated experimentally in the greenhouse (germination experiments), in the pot experiment and in the reciprocal transplant field experiment. Germination, production of clonal structures and response to various environmental conditions (competition, moisture conditions, etc.) were studied. The experimental data are supplemented with an analysis of phytosociological relationships of the studied species.