Electron Microscope Studies on Developing Crayfish Oocytes With Special Reference to the Origin of Yolk

Abstract

The endoplasmic reticulum is composed, in places, of stacks of parallel cisternae which are limited by membranes having great numbers of ribosomes attached to their outer surface. These are connected with other cisternae of similar structure but with fewer ribosomes and without preferred orientation. The latter extend in all directions from the stacked cisternae, branching and anastomosing freely so that the entire system of membrane-limited cisternae appears interconnected; a morphological condition suitable to serve as the basis for an active transport system. Within the stacked cisternae appear granules about 40 to 60 m# in diameter. These are thought to represent the precursors of proteinaceous yolk, and the hypothesis is advanced that most of the intracisternal granules are synthesized here, possibly under the influence of the ribosomes. They then "flow" into and along the unoriented cisternae to regions where they collect, expand the cisternae, and undergo transformation into finely granular, relatively large proteinaceous yolk bodies. The mitochondria are somewhat pleomorphic, often show atypical cristae, and frequently contain a few dense granules. Lipid is abundant. Other cytoplasmic components are illustrated.

Histological and histochemical analysis of the gonadal development of males and females of Armases rubripes (Rathbun 1897) (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae)

“…This has also been observed in other decapods (King, 1948;Kessel, 1968). Raven (1961) and Beams and Kessel (1963) reported that the oocytes remove the material, or part of it, from these cells to form the yolk.…”

Morphological and histochemical examination of male and female gonads in Homarus gammarus (L. 1758)

“…The oogonia in P. clarkii [21,29], A. leptodactylus [23] and C. quadricarinatus [30] contain thread-like and granular basophilic chromatin material in their very large nuclei.This is very similar to that seen in H.gammarus. In addition, at proliferation stage in H. gammarus the differentiation of the chromatin material from a filamentous pattern towards a granular structure and the weak eosinophilic nature of the cytoplasm is similar to C. quadricarinatus [30].…”

Electron microscopic study of follicle cell development during vitellogenesis in the marine crustacean Isopoda, Idotea balthica basteri

“…The cytochemistry, and particularly the origin, of oocyte yolk inclusions have been thoroughly studied in several crustaceans using electron microscopy : the endogenous origin of the yolk protein in Orconectes (Beams and Kessel, 1963) and its endogenous and exogenous origin in Libinia emarginata (Hinsch and Cone, 1969), Orchestia gammarellus (Zerbib, 1973(Zerbib, , 1976 and Eriocheir sinensis (Dhainaut and De Leersnyder, 1976). Only one ultrastructural study by Rateau and Zerbib (1978) (1971), Cruickshank (1971), Favard-Sereno (1971) and Nardon (1978).…”