Is there a germ plasm in mouse oocytes?

Abstract

It was found that in the Graafian oocytes of laboratory mice Mus musculus the population of electron-dense bodies contains two patterns of structures. One of these, designated as cortical granules, originated from the Golgi complex and was surrounded by a membrane. The other was discovered as cristae-containing mitochondrial derivatives lacked an outer membrane. It was found that the mitochondrial derivatives underwent progressive condensation and transformed into electron-dense bodies similar to germinal bodies of metazoan animals. Based on examination of Graafian follicle oocytes from 5 female individuals, about 15% of electron-dense bodies were cortical granules. However, about 85% of electron-dense bodies were condensing mitochondrial derivatives transforming into electron-dense bodies.