Ultrastructure of early development of mouse parthenogenones.

Abstract

AbstractMouse eggs were parthenogenetically stimulated with hyaluronidase and osmotic shock and the resulting two‐, four‐ and eight‐cell stage embryos examined with the electron microscope. The ultrastructure of parthenogenones during cleavage showed numerous differences when compared with normal development. Cortical reaction was absent and there were no microvilli on the cell surface of developing blastomeres. The cytoplasm contained numerous bundles of fibrous material, vacuoles and lipid droplets, multivesicular bodies, and agglomerates of vesicles sometimes connected with cortical granules. Cortical granules and vacuolated mitochondria were numerous and usually situated near the cell membrane. The number of free ribosomes was very small and agglomerates of ribosomes or rough endoplasmic reticulum were not observed. Nucleoli in almost all cells were so‐called primary nucleoli consisting of a dense, osmiophilic core and narrow ring of granular material. In only a few cells was reticulation of nucleoli and formation of fibrillar and granular parts noticed. Nuclear fragments and nuclei with broken membranes were present in some cells. Primary nucleoli persisted during mitosis and were in close contact with chromosomes. Cytokinesis was irregular and small and large fragments of cytoplasm surrounded by membrane were often observed between dividing cells. Our results suggested that failure of parthenogenones to develop normally is probably caused by numerous disturbances during early cleavage. Incomplete cortical reaction, persistence of primary nucleoli, a probable disturbance in RNA and protein synthesis, and irregularities during nuclear and cellular division were observed in all embryos.