Phallusia Mammillata Research Articles

Specific inhibition of sperm β-N-acetylglucosaminidase by the synthetic inhibitor N-acetylglucosaminono-1,5-lactone O-(phenylcarbamoyl)oxime inhibits fertilization in the ascidian, Phallusia mammillata.

Increasing evidence has evolved from studies in ascidians and mammals that sperm β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAc'ase) plays a crucial role in fertilization. In the ascidian Phallusia mammillata, GlcNAc'ase is the predominant sperm-bound glycosidase and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is the prevailing glycoside residue on the vitelline coat. We report here that the GlcNAc'ase inhibitor O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyrano-sylidene)-amino-N-phenylcarbamate (PUGNAC) is a potent competitive inhibitor of sperm-bound GlcNAc'ase in P. mammillata. The inhibitor constant Ki for the isolated enzyme is 47 nmol/L. Fertilization of eggs is inhibited by PUGNAC in a dose dependent competitive manner with 50% inhibition at an inhibitor concentration of 85 μmol/L. Further experiments, in which intact eggs possessing an egg coat were mixed with eggs from which the coat had been removed, showed that only fertilization of intact eggs was inhibited by PUGNAC. This finding suggests that PUGNAC prevents the binding of the sperm-associated GlcNAc'ase to terminal GlcNAc residues on the vitelline coat, thus inhibiting sperm binding and subsequently fertilization. Furthermore and most importantly, it shows that treatment with PUGNAC does not affect the viability of sperm and that the process of sperm-egg fusion is not affected.

Function and characteristics of repetitive calcium waves associated with meiosis

Internal calcium waves and oscillations are now recognized as universal features of cellular activation, but their exact role remains uncertain. In mammalian and ascidian eggs, a large, sperm-triggered calcium activation wave crosses the egg at fertilization, followed by a series of periodic increases in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). We have previously shown that, in eggs of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata, these periodic, post-activation [Ca2+]i increases are in the form of waves, the origin of which relocalizes to a pacemaker region, and that they stop seconds before the completion of meiosis. We show here that the origin of the first one to four post-activation calcium waves in P. mammillata eggs transfers progressively from the site of sperm entry, usually in the animal hemisphere, towards an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-rich contraction pole in the vegetal hemisphere, a process that takes about five minutes. Once the origin of these repetitive post-activation calcium waves has reached the contraction pole, all subsequent calcium waves originate from the domain of ER concentrated there, which acts as a pacemaker. The first few post-activation calcium waves are faster than the activation wave and, like the activation wave, they propagate homogeneously throughout the cytoplasm. Approximately five to ten minutes after fertilization, the post-activation calcium waves begin to propagate preferentially in the egg cortex. By manipulating intracellular calcium levels with caged inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (InsP3) and a competitive inhibitor of InsP3-induced calcium release, we show that the activation wave induced by the sperm is sufficient to induce extrusion of the first polar body, but that additional [Ca2+]i increases are necessary for completion of the second meiotic division. However, periodic calcium waves per se do not seem to be strictly necessary for the completion of meiosis, as a persistent and homogeneous increase in calcium, induced by the calcium ionophore ionomycin, is sufficient to cause second polar body formation and allow completion of meiosis on time. These results clearly show that, in the ascidian egg, post-activation calcium waves are required to complete meiosis. They also show that following a period of progressive relocalization of the wave origin, which lasts approximately five minutes, an ER-rich domain at the contraction pole finally becomes a pacemaker from which the calcium waves originate. Once their origin becomes stably localized, the calcium waves begin to propagate preferentially around the cortex of the egg rather than throughout the egg cytoplasm.

Thyroid Hormones and Putative Nuclear T 3 Receptors in Tissues of the Ascidian, Phallusia mammillata Cuvier

Thyroid hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay in blood plasma and in extracts (butanol/chloroform/ammonia) of pharynx, alimentary canal, and tunic of Phallusia mammillata. Other animals were injected with [ 125I]T 3 and its distribution in the same tissues was determined from 6 to 48 hr after injection. Last, the saturable binding of [ 125I]T 3 to salt-extracted nuclear proteins in the pharynx and alimentary canal was studied in vitro. T 4 was found in all tissues examined and in the same order of magnitude (2.7 to 8.4 ng/g) whereas plasma concentration was low (0.2 ng/ml). Tissue T 3 concentrations were always much lower than T 4 tissue concentrations, being highest in alimentary canal (0.8-1.1 ng/g) and very low in the tunic as well as in plasma, in which T 3 was generally below 0.02 ng/ml. The tissue distribution of [ 125I]T 3 was correlated with T 3 concentrations. Tissue/plasma ratios were approximately 10 in the alimentary canal, 5 in the pharynx, and 0.18 in the tunic. Saturable binding of T 3 to nuclear proteins in the alimentary canal and pharynx was demonstrated. The affinity ( K d ) was similar to that found in tissues from other chordates but the maximal binding capacity was much lower. The very low levels of plasma T 3 and low T 3/T 4 ratios may indicate that the endostyle releases primarily T 4 into the body fluid. On the other hand, the high levels of T 3 and the high T 3/T 4 ratios in the alimentary canal suggest that this metabolically active target tissue is the main site of the process of deiodination of T 4 into T 3, a process which has been previously shown in P. mammillata in vivo. The data indicate putative T 3 receptors in ascidian tissue, suggesting a physiological role of T 3 in protochordates.

In the Egg of the Ascidian Phallusia mammillata, Removal of External Ca2+ Modifies the Fertilization Potential, Induces Polyspermy, and Blocks the Resumption of Meiosis

The fertilization potential of the Phallusia mammillata egg has been found to consist, in natural or standard artificial sea water (NSW and ASW), of an initial sperm-triggered rapid depolarization comprising two distinct successive components, followed by a phase of membrane depolarization comprising a plateau and two series of membrane potential oscillations. These oscillations occur during meiotic divisions and they end just before formation of the second polar body. In the present work, the effects of removing external Ca2+ on the fertilization potential time course on the rate of polyspermy and on the resumption of meiosis of the P. mammillata egg were explored. Eggs inseminated in Ca2+-free ASW usually responded by several successive sperm-induced electrical responses strikingly different from that obtained in standard ASW: removing external Ca2+ during insemination and the initial depolarizing shift (free (Ca2+), 5-11 μM in Ca2+-free ASW) and during the subsequent period of the electrical responses (free (Ca2+), 0.2 μM in Ca2+-free ASW), completely suppressed both the second component of the initial depolarizing shift, the plateau, and membrane oscillations of the depolarization phase, did not impair sperm entry, but always blocked the resumption of meiosis. Under these conditions eggs were polyspermic (91%, n = 22, c.l. 69-99%). Lastly, only a short period of contact (∼20 sec at minimum) with a physiological concentration of external Ca2+ ( 12 mM) at the onset of the fertilization potential was necessary for the egg to resume meiosis and then to undergo complete embryonic development. These results indicate that in the P. mammillata egg, the second component of the initial depolarizing shift involves voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The possibility is discussed that external Ca2+ ions might contribute to the activation of the P. mammillata egg by providing a source for an increase of (Ca2+)i and/or for the reloading of the Ca2+ internal stores.

Ultrastructural investigations on sperm penetration and gamete fusion in the ascidians Boltenia villosa and Phallusia mammillata

Sperm-egg interactions during fertilization were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy in the two ascidian species, Boltenia villosa (collected in 1990 near Friday Harbor, Washington, USA) and Phallusia mammillata (collected in 1990 near Brest, France). Emphasis was put on sperm-egg vitelline coat (VC) and sperm-egg plasma membrane interaction. In both species the sperm activation as revealed by translocation of the mitochondrion was exhibited by sperm binding firmly to or penetrating the VC. Vesicles are present in the sperm apex of both species. Their persistence in late stages of VC penetration suggests for them a function rather in Sperm-egg fusion than in VC penetration. In P. mammillata sperm which are about to make contact and to start fusion with the egg plasma membrane, two types of vesicles, one located at the tip and the other slightly behind the apical cap, were detected. Function and fate of these prominent vesicles remain to be determined. Membrane fusion starts between the sperm membrane of the cap-like structure and short microvilli of the egg surface and then proceeds simultaneously at several sites of the apical region. In B. villosa conspicuous microvilli which are formed at the contact site and interdigitate with the corkscrew-like sperm represent fusion sites on the egg. In both ascidian species sperm are incorporated into the egg at an acute angle. Once fully embodied the sperm lie close and almost parallel to the egg membrane. Our findings are compared with observations in Ciona intestinalis, the only other ascidian species in which Sperm-egg interactions have been thoroughly investigated so far. We suggest that observed differences in the fusion processes are based on morphological differences in sperm structure which reflect phylogenetic modifications.

Activation currents, sperm entry and surface contractions in ascidian eggs

Spermatozoa from the mollusc Ostrea edulis are capable of fusing to and entering de-chorionated ascidian eggs. During interaction they generate activation currents, comparable to the fertilisation currents induced by homologous spermatozoa. Activation currents are inward at -80 mV, with a mean initial slope of 111 +/- 124 pA/s for Ciona intestinalis eggs and 47 +/- 25 pA/s for Phallusia mammillata eggs, while the mean peak currents are 2782 +/- 1132 pA and 1523 +/- 1668 pA, respectively. The fertilisation and activation currents reverse at a holding potential of 0 mV to + 20 mV, suggesting that oyster sperm and ascidian sperm gate the same channel precursor, a non-specific, large conductance channel described previously (Dale & DeFelice, 1984). In contrast to homologous fertilisation, the activation current is not followed by a polarised contraction of the egg surface, nor other signs of egg activation. Staining eggs with Hoechst 33342 after insemination shows the female nucleus and a single oyster sperm nucleus at the antipode. This suggests a specialised predetermined site at the vegetal pole for sperm entry. Homologous and heterologous spermatozoa delivered, in a large pipette, to localised areas of the egg surface generate fast inward currents of 200-2000 pA, but do not induce contraction of the egg surface. This shows that although channel precursors are located globally over the egg surface, channel activation does not necessarily trigger the contraction wave. Subsequent induction of both a fertilisation current and a contraction by homologous sperm added to the bath, implies a regionalised activation site with an accumulation of channel precursors and a 'pacemaker' for the initiation of the contraction wave.

Polarity and reorganization of the endoplasmic reticulum during fertilization and ooplasmic segregation in the ascidian egg.

During the first cell cycle of the ascidian egg, two phases of ooplasmic segregation create distinct cytoplasmic domains that are crucial for later development. We recently defined a domain enriched in ER in the vegetal region of Phallusia mammillata eggs. To explore the possible physiological and developmental function of this ER domain, we here investigate its organization and fate by labeling the ER network in vivo with DiIC16(3), and observing its distribution before and after fertilization in the living egg. In unfertilized eggs, the ER-rich vegetal cortex is overlaid by the ER-poor but mitochondria-rich subcortical myoplasm. Fertilization results in striking rearrangements of the ER network. First, ER accumulates at the vegetal-contraction pole as a thick layer between the plasma membrane and the myoplasm. This accompanies the relocation of the myoplasm toward that region during the first phase of ooplasmic segregation. In other parts of the cytoplasm, ER becomes progressively redistributed into ER-rich and ER-poor microdomains. As the sperm aster grows, ER accumulates in its centrosomal area and along its astral rays. During the second phase of ooplasmic segregation, which takes place once meiosis is completed, the concentrated ER domain at the vegetal-contraction pole moves with the sperm aster and the bulk of the myoplasm toward the future posterior side of the embryo. These results show that after fertilization, ER first accumulates in the vegetal area from which repetitive calcium waves are known to originate (Speksnijder, J. E. 1992. Dev. Biol. 153:259-271). This ER domain subsequently colocalizes with the myoplasm to the presumptive primary muscle cell region.

The fertilization potential and associated membrane potential oscillations during the resumption of meiosis in the egg of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata

The fertilization potential in Phallusia mammillata consisted of an initial rapid depolarization. This initial spermtriggered depolarization was followed by a phase of membrane depolarization which was of either long or short duration, depending on the eggs. When of long duration, the phase of membrane depolarization was divided into two periods: the first one began with a plateau (Em = +20.2 ± 1.1 mV; duration = 1.7 ± 0.14 min) which was followed by a series of membrane potential oscillations ( n = 3.1 ± 0.25) lasting 2.4 ± 0.2 min. The second period also began as a plateau (Em = ∼0 mV; duration = 3.40 ± 0.20 min) which was followed by a series of oscillations ( n = 11.5 ± 0.5) lasting 11.8 ± 0.6 min, followed by a membrane repolarization. The second series of oscillations often continued rising from the resting potential value. In the eggs displaying a short duration of membrane depolarization, the second period of depolarization was shortened (lasting only 3.5 ± 0.5 min) since it lacked the second plateau. In addition it displayed a smaller number of oscillations ( n = 4.7 ± 0.6). As a consequence of this shortening, the membrane repolarized sooner. After repolarization, the membrane displayed several potential oscillations that started from the repolarization level. Regardless of the length of the depolarized plateau phases, the total number of membrane oscillations and the time period during which they occurred were constant. Eggs displaying a long depolarization phase had 15.9 ± 0.6 oscillations in a 19.5 ± 0.6 min interval, while eggs having a short depolarization phase had 16.0 ± 0.8 oscillations in a 18.1 ± 0.3 min interval. The time period during which the potential oscillations occurred corresponded remarkably well with the time of the meiotic divisions: the formation of the first polar body was detected about 80 sec after the end of the first series of oscillations; the second polar body was extruded about 85 sec after the last membrane oscillation occurred.

α-Hydroperoxy diethyl peroxide, an unusual natural compound isolated from an ascidian ( Phallusia mammillata): acute toxicity in DDY mice

α-Hydroperoxy diethyl peroxide, a novel compound found in the tunic of ascidians, has two peroxide moieties per molecule. Since ascidians are a widely served food item in Japan, human exposure to this compound potentially exists in the seafood preparation industries. No toxicological data have so far been published on this compound, and so we determined the intraperitoneal 6-day LD 50 in mice and conducted histopathological examinations. The 6-day LD 50, was found to be 199 mg kg with 95% confidence limits of 126–314 mg kg . Histopathological examination revealed necrosis induced in a variety of cells that had been directly exposed to the compound. These cells included hepatocytes, parenchymal pancreatic cells and fat cells. It is concluded that direct contact with this compound is likely to elicit cellular necrosis of various organs. The specific toxicological effects are probably dependent on the route of exposure.

Glycoprotein constituents of the vitelline coat of Phallusia mammillata (Ascidiacea) with fertilization inhibiting activity

Vitelline coats (VCs) of Phallusia mammillata were isolated and purified following homogenization of live eggs in order to investigate the molecular basis of sperm-egg recognition. Clean VCs were partly solubilized by sonication in H 2O and the soluble fraction (SFVC), derived from the outer surface of VCs, was used for further characterization. Electrophoretic analyses of radioiodinated VCs revealed that SFVC consists of two major glycoprotein components with apparent average M r's of 450,000 and 180,000, respectively. The 450,000 M r component is composed of several charge isomers, whereas the 180,000 M r component is supposed to consist of two oligomers, both with acidic p I, held together by a disulfide linkage(s). Each of the two components possesses WGA-binding sites as shown by transblotting followed by WGA-peroxidase treatment. The amino acid composition of SFVC was determined after acid hydrolysis and its carbohydrate composition was analyzed and quantified by GLC. GlcNAc and GalNAc were found to predominate with 86% by weight of total sugar content and fucose, mannose, and glucose accounted for the remaining 14%. The susceptibility of SFVC to enzymatic ( N-glycosidase F) and chemical (TFMS) deglycosylation as well as to protease (trypsin and chymotrypsin) digestion was investigated. Furthermore, sperm receptor activity of SFVC was tested in a fertilization assay. The fertilization rate decreased in a concentration-dependent manner when sperm were preincubated with SFVC. Additionally, sperm treated with SFVC showed binding for FITC-WGA or WGA-gold at the apical portion of the sperm head. Therefore, we strongly assume that one or both of the identified glycoprotein macromolecules of SFVC are involved in sperm-egg recognition.

Isolation, characterization, and localization of a sperm-bound N-acetylglucosaminidase that is indispensable for fertilization in the ascidian, Phallusia mammillata

N-Acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAc'ase), which possesses by far the highest activity of all Phallusia mammillata sperm glycosidases, was isolated and purified using DEAE-cellulose, phenyl-Sepharose, and concanavalin A affinity chromatography. The molecular size of the native enzyme estimated by G-200 gel permeation was 158 kDa. On SDS-PAGE, the denatured enzyme migrated as a single band with a M r of 78 kDa. This indicates that under nondenaturing conditions the GlcNAc'ase prevails as a dimer. The molecular activity of the enzyme was determined to be 3.7 × 10 5 U/μmole, the K m for p-NP-GlcNAc was 0.65 m M, and the K i for GlcNAc was 5.5 m M. It has been suggested that gamete binding in ascidians might be mediated by an enzyme-substrate complex established between a sperm glycosidase and corresponding glycosides on the vitelline coat. Thus, the GlcNAc'ase should be present as an exoenzyme at the proper place on the sperm surface membrane, i.e., on the sperm tip and possibly over the mitochondrial region. We localized the enzyme with fluorescence and electron microscopy using the neoglycoprotein BSA- p-aminophenyl- N-acetyl-β- d-glucosaminide (BSA-GlcNAc) or concanavalin A coupled either to fluorochromes or gold particles. Labeling of unreacted and activated sperm revealed three distinct binding sites, namely at the sperm tip, over the mitochondrion, and at the head-tail junction. In reacted sperm strong labeling was observed over the translocated mitochondrion as well as at the sperm tip. An intensive binding was observed along the rim which borders the cap-like structure at the sperm tip. The distribution of the enzyme reflected by these binding patterns accounts well for the suggested function. Using N-acetylglucosaminono-1,5-lactone oxime, a novel, highly specific inhibitor of GlcNAc'ase, we were able to show that this enzyme is indispensable for fertilization of intact eggs, but not of eggs deprived of their vitelline coat. These observations are discussed in terms of functional relationships which may exist between this enzyme, sperm binding, gamete recognition, and penetration of the vitelline coat.

Structure determination of a very unusual peroxide from solitary ascidians, Phallusia mammillata, ascidia ahodori, styela pricata and halocynthia roretzi.

α-hydroperoxy diethyl peroxide was commonly extracted from the tunic of the titled four different ascidian species. The structure was determined by spectroscopic data, polarographic data and oxidation reactions.

The activation wave of calcium in the ascidian egg and its role in ooplasmic segregation.

We have studied egg activation and ooplasmic segregation in the ascidian Phallusia mammillata using an imaging system that let us simultaneously monitor egg morphology and calcium-dependent aequorin luminescence. After insemination, a wave of highly elevated free calcium crosses the egg with a peak velocity of 8-9 microns/s. A similar wave is seen in egg fertilized in the absence of external calcium. Artificial activation via incubation with WGA also results in a calcium wave, albeit with different temporal and spatial characteristics than in sperm-activated eggs. In eggs in which movement of the sperm nucleus after entry is blocked with cytochalasin D, the sperm aster is formed at the site where the calcium wave had previously started. This indicates that the calcium wave starts where the sperm enters. In 70% of the eggs, the calcium wave starts in the animal hemisphere, which confirms previous observations that there is a preference for sperm to enter this part of the egg (Speksnijder, J. E., L. F. Jaffe, and C. Sardet. 1989. Dev. Biol. 133:180-184). About 30-40 s after the calcium wave starts, a slower (1.4 microns/s) wave of cortical contraction starts near the animal pole. It carries the subcortical cytoplasm to a contraction pole, which forms away from the side of sperm entry and up to 50 degrees away from the vegetal pole. We propose that the point of sperm entry may affect the direction of ooplasmic segregation by causing it to tilt away from the vegetal pole, presumably via some action of the calcium wave.

X-ray microanalytical studies on cryofixed blood cells of the ascidianPhallusia mammillata.III. Quantitative analyses of non-vanadium-accumulating blood cells

Summary The intracellular compartmentation of P, S, Cl, K, Fe, Br, and I in several V non-accumulating blood cells of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata was studied by X-ray microanalysis of freeze-dried cryosections in the scanning transmission electron microscope.

Free calcium pulses following fertilization in the ascidian egg

Using the calcium-specific, chemiluminescent photoprotein aequorin, we have measured changes in the concentration of free cytosolic calcium at fertilization in single eggs of the ascidians Phallusia mammillata and Ciona intestinalis. Shortly after insemination, the free calcium concentration rises within a minute from a resting level of about 90 n M in the unfertilized egg to a peak level of about 7 μ M in Phallusia and about 10 μ M in Ciona. The total duration time of this fertilization transient is 2–3 min. It is immediately followed by a series of 12 to 25 briefer calcium transients with peak levels of about 1–4 μ M. These postfertilization pulses occur at regular intervals of 1–3 min during the completion of meiosis, and they stop as soon as the second polar body is formed at about 25 min. An interesting exception to this pattern was observed in eggs from Ciona that had been raised at lower temperatures during the winter months. Insemination in the absence of external calcium in Phallusia results in a pulse pattern very similar to the normal pattern. From this result we infer that the bulk (if not all) of the calcium required for both the fertilization pulse and the meiotic oscillations is released from internal sources.

Polarity of sperm entry in the ascidian egg

We have investigated the point of sperm entry in denuded eggs of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata. In contrast to what is generally believed, the sperm show a strong tendency to enter the animal hemisphere rather than the vegetal hemisphere. After entry, the sperm nucleus is carried toward the vegetal pole of the egg during the cortical contraction which occurs within a few minutes after fertilization. This polarity of sperm entry is abolished and the entry point is randomized by pretreating the eggs with cytochalasin D. We suggest that cytochalasin may act by randomizing components needed for sperm attachment or fusion, or structures needed for sperm entry.

Ascidian eggs release glycosidase activity which aids in the block against polyspermy.

To ensure normal development, most animals have evolved a number of mechanisms to block polyspermy including prevention of binding to surface coats as well as sperm-egg fusion. Ascidian sperm bind to vitelline coat (VC) glycosides. In the genus Ascidia, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is the ligand to which sperm bind. The number of sperm bound to the VC is biphasic following fertilization; sperm binding increases through the first minute or so, then abruptly declines. At fertilization, the eggs of Ascidia callosa, A. ceratodes, A. mentula, A. nigra and Phallusia mammillata release N-acetylglucosaminidase into the sea water (SW). This has been shown to inactivate VC GlcNAc groups, blocking the binding of supernumerary sperm and polyspermy in A. nigra. This block to polyspermy is inactivated by GlcNAc (2mM) or 150 mM-Na+ (choline substituted) SW. These treatments are not additive and therefore probably affect the same process. In A. callosa, fertilization in low Na+ SW causes a 60% decline in enzyme release and a similar increase in the number of sperm remaining on the VC at 4 min as well as a great increase in polyspermy. Thus the principal block to polyspermy in ascidian eggs involves the release of N-acetylglucosaminidase which appears to be Na+ dependent. Enzyme activity is found in the supernatant SW by 15 s after fertilization, suggesting that it is stored very near the egg surface. Histochemical staining of whole eggs and embryos shows loss of surface-associated enzyme activity following fertilization. Like other lysosomal enzymes this N-acetylglucosaminidase is mannosylated and has an acidic pH optimum.

Fertilization and ooplasmic movements in the ascidian egg.

Using light microscopy techniques, we have studied the movements that follow fertilization in the denuded egg of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata. In particular, our observations show that, as a result of a series of movements described below, the mitochondria-rich subcortical myoplasm is split in two parts during the second phase of ooplasmic segregation. This offers a potential explanation for the origin of larval muscle cells from both posterior and anterior blastomeres. The first visible event at fertilization is a bulging at the animal pole of the egg, which is immediately followed by a wave of contraction, travelling towards the vegetal pole with a surface velocity of 1.4 microns s-1. This wave accompanies the first phase of ooplasmic segregation of the mitochondria-rich subcortical myoplasm. After this contraction wave has reached the vegetal pole after about 2 min, a transient cytoplasmic lobe remains there until 6 min after fertilization. Several new features of the morphogenetic movements were then observed: between the extrusion of the first and second polar body (at 5 and 24-29 min, respectively), a series of transient animal protrusions form at regular intervals. Each animal protrusion involves a flow of the centrally located cytoplasm in the animal direction. Shortly before the second polar body is extruded, a second transient vegetal lobe ('the vegetal button') forms, which, like the first, resembles a protostome polar lobe. Immediately after the second polar body is extruded, three events occur almost simultaneously: first, the sperm aster moves from the vegetal hemisphere to the equator. Second, the bulk of the vegetally located myoplasm moves with the sperm aster towards the future posterior pole, but interestingly about 20% remains behind at the anterior side of the embryo. This second phase of myoplasmic movement shows two distinct subphases: a first, oscillatory subphase with an average velocity of about 6 microns min-1, and a second steady subphase with a velocity of about 26 microns min-1. The myoplasm reaches its final position as the male pronucleus with its surrounding aster moves towards the centre of the egg. Third, the female pronucleus moves towards the centre of the egg to meet with the male pronucleus. Like the myoplasm, the migrations of both the sperm aster and the female pronucleus shows two subphases with distinctly different velocities. Finally, the pronuclear membranes dissolve, a small mitotic spindle is formed with very large asters, and at about 60-65 min after fertilization, the egg cleaves.

Influence of the composition of natural seston upon absorption efficiency of the ascidian PhallusiaMammillata (Cuvier, 1815)

The total absorption efficiency (TAE: relative to the total seston filtered) and the organic absorption efficiency (OAE: relative to the organic fraction of the seston filtered) of Phallusia mammillata (Cuvier, 1815) were estimated for naturally low concentrations of seston. TAE and OAE increase with the percentage of organic matter in the ingested seston. No absorption seems to occur below 4–10% organic matter according to seasonal variations. Maximal values of 48% for TAE and 95% for OAE were obtained for an organic percentage of seston of 51%. A comparison with the results presented for other filter-feeders fed on natural seston or for P. mammillata fed on algal suspensions, indicates that this organism optimizes the extraction of organic material and seems to be well adapted to feed in areas characterized by low concentrations of seston.

X-ray microanalytical studies on cryofixed blood cells of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata. I. Elemental composition of morula cells.

Cryofixed blood morula cells of Phallusia mammillata (Cuvier), which are considered to be vanadium-accumulating cells, were examined by X-ray microanalysis using STEM (scanning transmission electron microscopy) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy). It is thought that cryopreparation preserves the native distribution of diffusible elements such as sodium, chlorine, and potassium, and prevents the displacement of vanadium, all of which may occur during conventional preparation. The results show that morula cell globules contain a large amount of sulphur and chlorine, and some sodium, magnesium, bromium and potassium, but very little or no vanadium.