Steroid Producing Cells during Ovarian Differentiation of the Tilapia, Sarotherodon niloticus

In order to examine the initial appearance and development of the steroid producing cells (SPCs) during the process of ovarian differentiation, histology and ultrastructure of tilapia ( Sarotherodon niloticus ) ovaries were investigated from 10 to 50 days after hatching. In gonads of fry at 23–26 days after hatching, initial ovarian differentiation was confirmed by the differentiation of stromal aggregations in the proximal and distal region of the gonad on the side facing the lateral wall. This represents the initial formation of the ovarian cavity. At the same time as ovarian differentiation, a few large cells appeared initially in the vicinity of blood vessels. They have some of the ultrastructural features characteristic of SPCs such as a moderate number of mitochondria with tubular cristae, a large amount of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and many free ribosomes. Based on these ultrastructural criteria, together with the present finding that these cells further differentiated into the typical SPCs at older stages, these cells were identified as SPCs. Thereafter, by 30–50 days, SPCs increased gradually in number in the area enclosing the blood vessels of ovaries. The increase in SPCs coincided with the development of germ cells, including the multiplication of oogonia and the transformation from oogonia to oocytes.     

Mutational changes of quantitative morphological traits in the convict cichlid (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum Guenther) after irradiation of parental spermatogonia and oogonia with different doses of X-rays

10 continuous and 6 discrete variables of body dimensions as well as 16 proportions calculated from them were determined in postirradiation F1 convict cichlid fish (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum) which were derived from spermatogonia and oogonia both exposed to either 0 (controls), 250, 500, 750, 1000, or 2000 R of X-rays. While no interactions with sex or radiation dose were found, clear dosage effects and some sex effects occurred. The highest response for almost all quantitative traits examined as well as for variants of coloration or of vertebral aberrations appeared after 250 R to both parental germ cells. The lowest effectiveness was observed for almost all characters under investigation after 0 and 500 R. Accordingly, the largest difference between the 6 different treatment groups was found between 250 and 500 R, followed by 250 and 0, 250 and 1000, and 250 and 750 R to parental gonia. The present finding on the alterations of quantitative morphological traits completely corresponds to the changes of intraspecific aggressiveness as found for the same individual fish in a previous study thus confirming the complete congruence of the mutational response of quantitative morphological characters with that of behavioral traits to ionizing radiation.     

Anserine and free amino acid contents in the egg and fry stages of developing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

1. Anserine and free amino acid contents were examined in rainbow trout eggs, yolk sac and yolk-free fry before feeding. 2. Free amino acid levels showed little change in eggs and yolk sac and had a tendency to increase in yolk-free fry. 3. No anserine was detected in the eggs and yolk sac, but yolk-free fry significantly increased its concentration after hatching. This continuous increment of anserine was discussed in relation to buffering capacity of adult fish muscle.     

Population Genetics of LEBISTES (POECILIA) RETICULATUS Peters (Poeciliidae; Pisces). I. Effects of Radiation-Induced Mutations on the Segregation Ratio in Postirradiation F2

Wild-type germ cells of the viviparous fish, Lebistes (Poecilia) reticulatus, were irradiated in the stages of oogonia, spermatogonia or spermatozoa with 1000 R of X rays at a dose-rate of 200-220 R/min. The grown-up fish were mated after irradiation or sham treatment to unirradiated mutant fish homozygous for three recessive gene loci, causing albinism, lack of yellow and reddish pigmentation ("blue" constitution), and diminution of the size of melanophores ("blond" constitution). As compared to the control series, the phenotypic segregation ratios in the adult F(2) generation after irradiation was changed significantly in favour of wild-type and blue fish, whereas the proportion of albinotic, blond and "white" (= blond + blue) guppies was lowered. This unidirectional effect in postirradiation F(2) was greatest after exposure of spermatozoa with 2 x 500 R (24 hr apart), followed by single doses of 1000 R to spermatogonia and oogonia. These results were explained in terms of a synergistic interaction of recessive radiation-induced mutations in the heterozygous state with those genotypes of the guppy which affect the formation of melanophoric patterns and the synthesis of melanins.     

Lack of effect on the chromosomal non-disjunction in aged female mice after low dose X-irradiation.

Karyotypes were determined in 1064 embryos of aged C57/BL mothers. The virgin female mice were irradiated with 0, 4, 8 or 16 R of X-rays, respectively, and placed with young untreated males 5 days after irradiation. 10.5-days old embryos were recovered from the uterus. Aneuploid embryos classified as alive (heart beats observed at the dissection) were 1 monosomic in the control group (496 embryos) and 2 trisomics in the irradiated group (568 embryos). The number of aneuploid embryos classified as dead was 4 trisomic cases in the control group and 3 trisomics in the irradiated group. The data indicate that trisomic embryos are not uncommon in the mouse but are eliminated in post-implantation death. In contrast to the results of Yamamoto et al. the present data do not demonstrate an increased frequency of chromosome abnormalities in embryos of aged mice X-irradiated before mating as compared to non-irradiated ones.     

Early estrogen exposure induces abnormal development of Fundulus heteroclitus

Many chemicals released into the environment exhibit estrogenic activity, having the potential to disrupt development and the functioning of the endocrine system. In order to establish a model system to study the effects of such environmental chemicals on aquatic animals, we examined the effects of a natural estrogen, 17 beta-estradiol (E(2)), on early development of Fundulus heteroclitus. Embryos of F. heteroclitus were reared in seawater containing 10(-10), 10(-8), and 10(-6) M E(2) throughout the experiment. Hatching and survival rates decreased in a dose-dependent manner, and fry treated with 10(-6) M E(2) and 10(-8) M E(2) were dead by two weeks and 12 weeks after hatching, respectively. More than 85% of fry treated with 10(-8) M E(2) showed malformations: i.e., eye extrusion, crooked vertebral column, faded lateral-stripe pattern eight weeks after hatching. Body weight and head and body lengths were significantly reduced in E(2)-treated fry when compared to controls. Ossification was not completed in vertebrae, cranial bones, and other bones in fry treated with 10(-8) M E(2) even 12 weeks after hatching. Sex ratio of control fry was 57% male and 43% female, whereas fry treated with 10(-8) M E(2) were 100% female eight weeks after hatching. The present results demonstrate that exogenous estrogen induced death of embryos and fry, malformations, sex reversal, and incomplete ossification of vertebrae and cranial bones, which would result in shorter body and head lengths and in malformed vertebrae leading to a hunchback condition.     

Rates of growth and protein synthesis correlated with nucleic acid content in fry of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: effects of age and temperature

Groups of recently hatched fry of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss were maintained in the laboratory in order to investigate the effects of age, ration level and temperature on whole body growth, nucleic acid concentrations, protein synthesis rates and enzyme activities. In fry of up to 30 days after hatching, which were feeding but still had some yolk sac, no significant change in mean RNA concentration was observed with ration level. In older fry of 50 days or more, when the yolk sac was completely absorbed and exogenous feeding fully established, the concentration of RNA was correlated with the rate of protein growth. RNA concentrations and activities of citrate synthase and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly different between fed and starved fry. As water temperature was raised (from 5 to 15° C), higher rates of protein growth were brought about by an increase in the rate of protein synthesis and also by increased efficiency of retention of synthesized protein (reduced protein turnover). In fed fry, no change in RNA concentration was found with increasing temperature, while the amount of RNA per cell (RNA: DNA) decreased, indicating that increased rates of protein synthesis were due to increased RNA efficiency.     

新疆石河子棉蚜越冬卵的发育规律

棉蚜雌性蚜交配个体平均产卵量为 6 3± 1 1粒 ;未交配个体也产卵 ,卵亦变色 ,但卵量极少。越冬卵经 5 %NaOH浸泡 2 4h后卵壳透明 ,镜下观察可见受精卵胚胎发育到体躯分节期开始越冬。冬后胚胎发育仅处在颗粒团状的饱满卵应为无效卵 ,不会孵化 ;颜色发亮的卵处理后胚胎外貌清晰可见 ,此种卵当天即可破壳。棉蚜卵为滞育卵 ,春季降水对孵化有促进作用 ;室外棉蚜卵的饱满率和饱满卵的孵化率较低。该地区秋冬气候特点可能是石河子地区棉蚜卵低温条件下安全越冬的重要因素     

西藏巨须裂腹鱼早期发育特征

巨须裂腹鱼(Schizothorax macropogon)隶属裂腹鱼亚科, 裂腹鱼属, 是西藏特有经济鱼类, 因过度捕捞, 其种群数量和分布面积下降, 在2009年中国红色名录评为“濒危”等级。研究通过研究巨须裂腹鱼早期发育特征, 旨在为该鱼的科学养护提供技术支撑。结果表明: 巨须裂腹鱼受精卵直径3.0—3.2 mm, 遇水开始具有微黏性, 随后脱黏, 经过准备卵裂阶段、卵裂阶段、囊胚阶段、原肠胚阶段、神经胚阶段、器官分化阶段、 孵化阶段, 在水温10℃的条件下, 经过460.67h孵化出来。初孵仔鱼体长9.9—1.1 mm, 心率48—50次/min, 鳃盖骨清晰可见, 下颌原基、尾鳍下骨原基可见。第2天鼻凹出现; 第3天肝胰脏原基出现; 第4天鳃耙、肩带原基出现; 第6天仔鱼上下颌开始张合; 第7天心血管分化结束, 仔鱼开始进入混合营养期; 第14天鳔一室和体侧色素带形成; 第26天肋骨原基出现; 第35天鳔二室出现, 卵黄囊耗尽; 第63天背鳍分化结束; 第83天臀鳍分化结束。巨须裂腹鱼胚胎具有独特的发育时序: 体节的出现先于胚孔封闭, 是对高原环境的一种适应和进化。     

Effects of tritiated water on germ cells in medaka embryos

Embryos of medaka, Oryzias latipes, were exposed to tritiated water and 137Cs gamma rays continuously from the one-cell stage until hatching (10 days at 26 degrees C). Germ cells in the gonads of newly hatched fry were counted in histological sections and compared with controls. The accumulated dose for 50% survival of germ cells was 195 rad for tritium beta rays and 350 rad for 137Cs gamma rays. Female progeny were produced using Yamamoto's method. The 50% survival doses for female germ cells treated in a manner similar to that described above were 140 rad for beta rays and 305 rad for gamma rays. When embryos of medaka were irradiated with gamma rays below an accumulated dose of 475 rad or treated with tritiated water at a concentration of 0.2 mCi/ml or lower, the dose response of the germ cells showed an exponential relationship. It appeared that there was no threshold or significant dose-rate effect for either beta or gamma rays on germ cell survival, and that tritium beta rays were more effective than 137Cs gamma rays in germ cell killing.     

The effect of low exposure-rate gamma irradiation on T and B lymphocyte function in the mouse

The effect of chronic irradiation on T and B cell numbers and function was studied in mice. Cobalt 60 gamma radiation at 6 R/hour reduced the numbers of anti-SRBC PFC in the spleen, with minimal levels recorded after total exposures of 1000-2000 R. Recovery was incomplete after 1000 R, reaching only 40-50 per cent of normal in four months and remaining at that level for the animal's lifetime. The long-term deficiency in PFC formation was not due to a quantitative lack of T or B cells since normal cell numbers were observed in the spleen 60-144 days after 1000 R. Adoptive transfer studies with combinations of bone marrow and thymus cells, or of splenic T and B cells, from normal and irradiated mice, revealed functional defects in both cell compartments during the first two months. Normal and near normal function of T and B cells occurred 100 days postirradiation, a time when the splenic in vivo response was still only 50 per cent of the controls. The latter observation suggests that the microenvironment of the chronically irradiated spleen alters factors regulating T and B cell interactions in response to a T-dependent antigen.     

Effects of crowding and availability of food on growth rate of fry in the European and Chinese races of the common carp

Fry of the European and Chinese races of the common carp and interracial crossbred fry were grown together in a series of ponds for 28 days after hatching. The degree of crowding and the amount of available natural food were intentionally varied in these experimental ponds. This resulted in a large variation in mean growth between ponds, ranging from 0·1 to 5·2 g per fish during the 28 days growth period. Under conditions of very slow growth, resulting from severe crowding and lack of natural food, fry of the Chinese carp grew several times faster than European carp. At lower densities and when natural food was more abundant, resulting in a faster rate of growth, this difference between the two races disappeared. Crossbred fry between the Chinese and European carp grew faster than either of their parents under all conditions tested.     

Dynamics of lipid content during early development of freshwater salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo salar</Emphasis> L.

Dynamics of lipid and phospholipid content was studied during early development of freshwater salmon Salmo salar L. from blastodisc formation (3 h) to hatching (108 days) as well as in eggs before fertilization. High and stable content of total lipids including structural phospholipids as well as relatively high content of triglycerides and its slight increase at the time of hatching have been demonstrated, which can indicate their utilization as the main energy source after hatching under conditions of deficient food and low fry activity for some time. Accumulation of a certain level of lipids in eggs before spawning is required for embryonic development and high survival after hatching. The significance of increasing and decreasing levels of structural lipids modulating membrane enzyme activities in metabolic changes before hatching is discussed.     

Factors affecting the survival of dace, Leuciscus leuciscus (L.), in the early post-hatching period

Young dace fry were stocked into nylon mesh cages at densities ranging from 0·044 to 7·230 1^-1, and the cages anchored in a backwater area where the fry gathered naturally. The fry began feeding on small organisms drifting into the cages 2-4 days after hatching. The growth rate of the fry was inversely proportional, and the death rate directly proportional, to initial density. Soon after the exhaustion of endogenous food reserves (as determined from unfed fry), there was a period of massive mortality at the highest initial densities, probably due to starvation. After 20 weeks, the cages stocked at the two highest initial densities contained the lowest biomass of fry. Transfer of fry to cages with a larger mesh size produced increased growth and 46% survival over 20 weeks at the lowest initial density. These fry reached an overwintering length of 35·5 mm compared with 48·0 mm for naturally occurring fry.     

西藏双须叶须鱼早期发育特征

通过双须叶须鱼(Ptychobarbus dipogon Regan)早期发育特征研究, 旨在为该鱼的科学保护和合理开发提供技术支撑。结果显示: 双须叶须鱼卵径3.7—3.9 mm, 吸水后的卵径可达5.1—5.3 mm。在水温10℃左右的条件下, 经历336.02h孵化出膜。根据胚胎的外部形态特征可将胚胎发育分为准备卵裂阶段、卵裂阶段、囊胚阶段、原肠阶段、神经胚阶段、器官分化阶段、孵化阶段共7个阶段34个时期。初孵仔鱼全长12.4 mm, 第1天体色素出现, 胸鳍上翘, 鳃盖骨出现, 下颌原基出现; 第2天鳃弓原基出现; 第3天消化道出现, 肝胰脏原基出现; 第4天鳃耙出现, 体表色素细胞带出现; 第5天口凹形成, 鳃丝形成; 第6天胸鳍褶, 背鳍褶, 腹鳍褶出现; 第7天鼻凹出现, 星芒状色素团出现; 第9天鳔前原基出现; 第11天尾鳍鳍条开始出现, 胸鳍开始颤动; 第13天鳔1室出现, 半规管形成; 第17天背鳍分化出来; 第21天腹部鳍褶变大, 舌颌骨清晰可见; 第28天脾脏出现; 第33天出现腹鳍鳍条; 第34天鳞片出现; 第85天稚鱼的形态与成鱼无异。双须叶须鱼是已报道裂腹鱼类卵径最大, 较四大家鱼卵周隙小, 是对高原隆起所导致的高寒自然环境的一种适应。     

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the effects of various doses of beta-irradiation (50-5000 rads) on epidermal cells of embryos and larvae of Pleurodeles waltlii Mich. (Amphibia, Urodela)

Embryos of Pleurodeles waltlii at the hatching stage were irradiated with doses of 50 to 5 000 rad. From 70 to 500 rad chromosomal aberrations appear; they are studied respectively 24,48 hours and 3 weeks after the treatment. Breakages are observed, that may be followed by rearrangements, i.e. acentric, telocentric and dicentric fragments, chromatid translocations and chromosome translocations. With time, the cells showing the most severe abnormalities are eliminated by the developing larvae. From 1 000 rad cytoplasmic structures (membrane systems and mitochondria) are alterated .     

Changes in plasma iodohormone concentrations during the day before hatching in Gallus domesticus

Plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured at the onset of breathing, clicking and hatching in unstimulated chick embryos. There was a progressive increase in plasma T3 concentration from the onset of breathing (482 hr of incubation) to hatching (496 hr). Plasma T4 concentration did not change significantly between the start of breathing and clicking (494 hr) but decreased between the onset of clicking and hatching. Embryos stimulated with artificial clicks hatched 19 hr before their unstimulated counterparts but their plasma concentrations of T3 and T4 did not differ at hatching from those of unstimulated embryos; however, the plasma T3 concentration, but not T4, at hatching was higher than in unstimulated embryos incubated for a similar length of time, i.e. to the onset of breathing.     

Primordial germ cells in the embryos of Medaka fish.

In the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) mission in 1994, four small Japanese killifish (Medaka, Oryzias latipes) made a space travel of 15 days aboard a space shuttle. These four adult Medaka fish successfully mated in space for the first time among vertebrate animals. Moreover, the eggs they laid developed normally, at least in their external appearance, hatching as fry (baby fish) in space. Fish mated and laid eggs every day during the first week. Near the end of the mission most of the eggs had a well-developed body with two pigmented eyes. In total, 43 eggs were laid (detected), out of which 8 fry hatched in space, as truly 'space-originated' babies. A further 30 fry hatched within 3 days after landing. This is the normal hatching rate, compared with the ground-based data. Among the 8 space-originated fry, four were killed for histological sections, and germ cells at the gonadal region were counted for each fry. Their numbers were in the range of the germ cells of the normal control fry (ground-kept samples). Thus, as embryos developed normally in their external appearance, inside the embryos the formation of primordial germ cells took place normally in space, and their migration to the genital ridges was not hindered by microgravity. The two of the remaining space-originated fry have grown up and been creating their offspring in the laboratory. This proved that the primordial germ cells formed in space were also normal from a functional point of view. The four space-travelled adult fish re-started mating and laying eggs on the 7th day after landing and continued to do so every day afterward. Fertilization rate and hatchability of these eggs were as high as the eggs laid by the laboratory-kept fish. This fact implies that in gametogenesis of adult fish, there are no specific stages of germ cells extremely susceptible to microgravity.     

Lectin binding in the ovary of the chick embryo and newborn.

The content, distribution and changes of the glycoconjugates sugar residues in the ovaries of chick embryos, from the 8th day of incubation to hatching and in 1-day old chick, were investigated. For this purpose, a battery of seven HRP-conjugated lectins was used (DBA, SBA, PNA, ConA, WGA, LTA and UEA I). Our data showed that SBA was a marker of the most immature oogonia in the ovarian cortex and medulla. The reactivity with ConA appeared to characterize the cells immediately prior to as well as during the meiotic division, as demonstrated by the presence of alpha-D-mannose at the "Balbiani bodies" in the oogonia of the ovarian cortex. The detection of Con A and SBA reactivity corresponded to maturative stages of the early oogonia in different cortical zones of the chick ovary. Our data also revealed that PNA seemed to be a marker of the degenerating oogonia located in the ovarian medulla. Moreover, PNA binding was a characteristic finding in the endothelial cells of the vessels located in the compact portion of the medulla in the left ovary, from the 8th to the 21st day of incubation and after hatching; PNA reactivity was only seen from the 16th day onwards in the endothelial cells of the cortex. During the whole considered period of incubation and after hatching, reactivity with UEAI, LTA and DBA was never detected.     

The effect of light and darkness on hatching in the pomacentrid Abudefduf saxatilis

Synopsis Reports that pomacentrid embryos hatch after dusk are confirmed by photic manipulation of sergeant major eggs. Embryos placed in the dark for 20 minutes or longer prior to their normal hatching after sunset hatched, whereas controls held in light did not hatch. Percent of hatched embryos correlated with increasing exposure to darkness up to one hour after which no further improvement in hatching was observed. Embryos maintained in continuous light during their normal twilight hatching period did not hatch. Also, embryos exposed to 60 minutes of darkness, if interrupted by one minute of light every 10 minutes did not hatch. The percent hatch in dark treatments varied significantly between nests and, in some treatments, correlated negatively with the size of the egg clumps (number of eggs per clump) tested. To initiate hatching in the presence of light required intensities of 0.03 lux or less. These low intensities are not reached until about 20 minutes after sunset on the reef where the embryos occur. We conclude that hatching for some embryos occurs about 30 minutes after sunset but for most is not completed until at least one hour after sunset. Hatching therefore takes place at a time long after potential diurnal fish predators have refuged in the reef structure.