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Pre-meiotic transformation of germplasm-related structures during male gamete differentiation in Xenopus laevis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2014

Arkadiy A. Reunov  and
Yulia A. Reunova
Arkadiy A. Reunov*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Cell Differentiation, Paltchevsky st.-17, A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041 Vladivostok, Russia.
Yulia A. Reunova
Affiliation:
A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology FEB RAS, Laboratory of Cell Differentiation, Paltchevsky st.-17, Vladivostok, 690041, Russia.
*
All correspondence to: A.A. Reunov. Laboratory of Cell Differentiation, Paltchevsky st.-17, A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041 Vladivostok, Russia. Tel: +7 4232 311143. Fax: +7 4232 310900. e-mail: arkadiy_reunov@hotmail.com
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Summary

To highlight the ultrastructural features of transformation occurring with germplasm-related structures (GPRS), the spermatogenic cells of Xenopus laevis were studied by transmission electron microscopy and quantitative analysis. It was determined that in spermatogonia and spermatocytes, the compact germinal granules underwent fragmentation into particles comparable with inter-mitochondrial cement (IMC). Fragments of IMC agglutinated some cell mitochondria and resulted in the creation of mitochondrial clusters. Clustered mitochondria responded with loss of their membranes that occurred by the twisting of membranous protrusions around themselves until multi-layered membranes were formed. The mitochondrial affinity of multi-layered membranes was proven by an immunopositive test for mitochondrial dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase. As a consequence of mitochondrial membrane twisting, the naked mitochondrial cores appeared and presumably underwent dispersion, which is the terminal stage of GPRS transformation. As no GPRS were observed in spermatids and sperm, it was assumed that these structures are functionally assigned to early stages of meiotic differentiation.

Keywords

Germinal granulesInter-mitochondrial cementMitochondriaSpermatogenesisXenopus laevis
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , February 2016 , pp. 42 - 47
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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