Minireview: Metabolic control of the reproductive physiology: Insights from genetic mouse models

This article is part of a Special Issue Energy Balance.     

Studies of oogenesis in the rotifer,Asplanchna

Summary Oocyte development in Asplanchna brightwelli was studied by observation through the transparent body wall of living females and by electron microscopy. During oogenesis, which requires four to six hours, the oocyte increases in volume approximately 1000-fold. Most of its cytoplasm appears to be derived from the vitellarium by direct flow through the cytoplasmic bridge. This flow is rapid enough to be easily observed in the living female at low magnifications. Ribosomes, mitochondria, cortical granules, and lipid droplets were observed in the bridge area in electron micrographs.RNA synthesis during oogenesis was studied by means of autoradiography. Very little synthesis could be demonstrated in oocyte nuclei at any period of oogenesis, whereas the vitellarium nuclei show active incorporation of ³H-uridine throughout the reproductive life of the adult female. Most of this RNA is subsequently transferred to developing oocytes.This research was supported by USPHS Grant GM 121183 to Dr. C. W. Birky, Jr.     

Scanning electron-microscopic study of sperm retention and migration in the vagino-cervical region of the rabbit

Summary The pattern of sperm retention and migration in the vagino-cervical region of rabbit was studied by means of scanning electron microscopy. The following phenomena were observed: 1) Spermatozoa located in the vagina and at the orifice of the ectocervix are usually distributed diffusely. They appear to be resting on the epithelial surface; many are structurally abnormal or decapitated. 2) The great majority of spermatozoa, however, seems to be anchored or retained in narrow epithelial channels with their heads in close file formations. This phenomenon was observed particularly in the fornix vaginae as late as 24 h post coitum. 3) A great number of spermatozoa invading the cervix evidently migrates in groups along the mucosal surface. Their heads are oriented toward the uterus and contact the epithelial cells. Spermatozoa that migrate beyond the cervico-uterine junction are distributed in the same manner. 4) Spermatozoa colonizing the cervical crypts appear to be attached via the anterior margins of their heads to the epithelial cells or to the tips of kinocilia. Their tails project into the crypt lumen. It is suggested that mainly three factors may be responsible for these phenomena: (i) the fact that only motile spermatozoa overcome the vagino-cervical barrier; (ii) the tendency of spermatozoa to move along the mucosa in close vicinity to the epithelial cells; and (iii) the inability to recognize mechanical barriers on the migration route (e.g., cervical crypts) and to overcome them quickly. This may be one of many possible causes leading to sperm retention in the vagino-cervical region.Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

Differing effects of thermal stress on coral fertilization and early embryogenesis in four Indo Pacific species

Coral reefs are expected to be severely impacted by rising seawater temperatures associated with climate change. The fertilization and early embryogenesis of four reef-building coral species representing three Indo-Pacific families were examined in a series of laboratory experiments where temperatures were increased up to 5–6°C at ambient. High levels of fertilization and normal embryogenesis were observed for Favites abdita, Favites chinensis and Mycedium elephantotus at temperatures to 32°C (+5°C) and embryos developed normally until the 5th cell cleavage. Acropora millepora was the only species to be affected by higher temperatures, exhibiting significantly reduced fertilization and a higher frequency of embryonic abnormalities at 32°C (+4°C), and fertilization ceased altogether at 34°C (+6°C). Early cell cleavage rates increased with temperature up to 32°C for all species.     

Songbirds do not create long-term stores of calcium in their legs prior to laying: results from high-resolution radiography

We prepared high-resolution radiographs of the leg bones of three passerine species using X-rays at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), which allows imaging with exceptionally high contrast and resolution. In studies of living Tree Swallows before and after laying and in studies of Brown-headed Cowbirds and Great Tits collected before, during or after laying, there is no evidence of calcium storage in the leg bones. By contrast, Great Tit nestlings raised in environments with extremely low calcium availability exhibited calcium deprivation in the development of their leg bones.     

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) tooth annuli as an index of reproduction in the Beaufort Sea

Multi-decadal time-series of biological indices that reflect the state of a population are rare in ecological studies, but invaluable for assessing environmental regulation of population dynamics. We utilized canine teeth extracted from ringed seals (Pusa hispida) killed by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea, Canada, in 1985–2011, to obtain widths of annual growth layers in the cementum. Canine teeth for 75 individuals were measured and compared across years using a proportional width index (PWI) spanning 1965–2007. PWI was positively correlated with ringed seal ovulation rate obtained independently from other studies and was significantly lower than normal during ringed seal reproductive declines in 1974–75, 1984–87, 1991–93, and 2004–05, suggesting that PWI reflects ringed seal reproductive capacity. The PWI was also examined against climatic and sea ice factors to assess environmental regulation of ringed seal reproduction. Results suggest that ringed seals benefit from cyclonic circulation regimes in the Beaufort Sea, and an earlier breakup of sea ice in summer that may positively influence the quality and quantity of food during the open water season. Results highlight how cementum annuli in the canine teeth of ringed seals can provide an index of body state and linkages to sea ice conditions. Canine teeth from ringed seals can function as a means to monitor the effects of past Arctic marine variability on area-specific populations for which there are few independent empirical data.     

In-vitro circadian rhythm of murine bone marrow progenitor production

Hematopoietic processes display 24h rhythms both in rodents and in human beings. We hypothesized these rhythms to be in part generated by a circadian oscillator within the bone marrow. The ability of murine bone marrow granulo-monocytic (GM) precursors to form colonies following colony-stimulating factor (rm GM-CSF) exposure was investigated in liquid culture samples obtained every 3 h for a span of up to 198 h. The CFU-GM count varied rhythmically over the first 4 d of culture, with a reproducible maximum in the early morning hours, similar to that observed in vivo. These experiments provide the first evidence that bone marrow progenitors sustain in vitro circadian rhythmicity, and they demonstrate the presence of a circadian time-keeping system within these cells. The results support the potential usefulness of bone marrow cultures for investigating chronopharmacologic effects of anticancer drugs and cytokines on this target system.     

Migration and spawning energetics of the anadromous sea lamprey,Petromyzon marinus

Synopsis Energy expended in migration and reproduction was determined from measurements of caloric concentration and body and gonodal weight for nontrophic sea lampreys collected from different sites along the St. John River, New Brunswick. The estimated cost of locomotion in swimming the 140 km which separates the estuary from the spawning redds was 300 and 260 kcal for males and females respectively. Acutal distance which lampreys swam as well as mean swimming speed were estimated from a linear regression equation relating energy expenditure for locomotion and body weight. Energy expenditure for breeding was considerably greater than that catabolized throughout the upstream migration.