Mitophagy during bush-cricket oogenesis and its potential role in mitochondrial quality control

The female germline cells must ensure that only fully functional mitochondria are transmitted to the next generation. Although mitophagy has been implicated in mitochondrial maintenance in numerous systems, its occurrence during insect oogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we analyzed previtellogenic oocytes of the bush-cricket, Roeseliana roeselii using transmission electron microscopy, histochemistry, and immunocytochemistry. Our ultrastructural analyses revealed numerous membrane-bound compartments within the ooplasm. These structures were consistently associated with antibody signals for Beclin-1, LC3, Atg5, ubiquitin, and the lysosomal marker LAMP1. Moreover, mitochondria were frequently observed within lysosome-associated compartments, suggesting their incorporation into degradative pathways. Our findings provide evidence for mitophagy in insect oocytes and suggest that selective mitochondrial degradation may contribute to mitochondrial turnover and, potentially, to mitochondrial quality control during oogenesis. These results expand our understanding of germline maintenance in insects and support the hypothesis that mitophagy may represent an evolutionarily conserved mechanism safeguarding maternally inherited mitochondria.