Influence of diminished respiratory surface area on survival of sea turtle embryos

It has been suggested that fungal presence on sea turtle eggs may impede gas exchange. To investigate the influence of diminished gas exchange surface upon embryo survivorship, flatback (Natator depressus) and green (Chelonia mydas) eggs were painted with petroleum jelly. Variable proportions of the egg surface were covered, including both respiratory and nonrespiratory domains. Embryo survival varied with site inhibited, proportion of eggshell affected, and species of turtle. If fungi on the exterior of the eggshell are able to impede respiratory gas exchange, their presence on the upper hemisphere (primary gas exchange area in early incubation) will result in the highest embryo mortality. Large eggs are likely to demonstrate a higher survivorship than small eggs, due to their larger available respiratory area and/or to variation in weight or stage-specific embryonic metabolic demands. Interspecific differences in egg size may therefore be a contributory factor to observed mortality rate differences in the natural presence of fungi.     

Mitotic domains reveal early commitment of cells in Drosophila embryos

In embryos of Drosophila melanogaster all the nuclei in the syncytial egg divide with global synchrony during the first 13 mitotic cycles. But with cellularization in the 14th cycle, global mitotic synchrony ceases. Starting about one hour into the 14th interphase, at least 25 'mitotic domains', which are clusters of cells united by locally synchronous mitosis, partition the embryo blastoderm surface into a complex fine-scale pattern. These mitotic domains, which are constant from one embryo to the next, fire in the same temporal sequence in every embryo. Some domains consist of a single cell cluster straddling the ventral or dorsal midline. Most consist of two separate cell clusters that occupy mirror-image positions on the bilaterally symmetric embryo. Others comprise a series of members present not only as bilateral pairs but also as metameric repeats. Thus a domain can consist of either one, two, or many (if metamerically reiterated) clusters of contiguous cells. Within each cluster, mitosis starts in a single cell or in a small number of interior cells then spreads wave-like, in all directions, until it stops at the domain boundary. Each domain occupies a specific position along the anteroposterior axis--as determined by the expression pattern of the engrailed protein, and along the dorsoventral axis--as determined by cell count from the ventral midline. The primordia of certain larval structures appear to consist solely of the cells of one specific mitotic domain. Moreover, cells in at least some mitotic domains share specific morphogenetic traits, distinct from those of cells in adjacent domains. These traits include cell shape, spindle orientation, and participation by all the cells of a domain in an invagination. The specialized behaviors of the various mitotic domains transform the monolayer cell sheet of the blastoderm into the multilayered gastrula. I conclude that the fine-scale partitioning of the newly cellularized embryo into mitotic domains is an early manifestation of the commitment of cells to specific developmental fates.     

Pattern formation in the Drosophila embryo

Three plausible hypotheses about developmental commitments in the Drosophila embryo propose that: (1) a micromosaic of localized determinants in the egg trigger somatic commitments; (2) monotonic anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral gradients in the egg specify positions by a series of threshold values; (3) sequential subdivision of the early embryo into 'anterior' or 'posterior' 'middle' or 'end', 'dorsal' or 'ventral', 'odd' or 'even' compartmental domains encodes the somatic commitment in each region in a combinatorial epigenetic code. Evidence in favour of such a combinatorial code includes its capacity to account for major features of transdetermination and for many single and coordinated homoeotic transformations. In particular, both these metaplasias often cause transformations between ectodermal tissues such as antenna and genitalia, whose anlagen lie far apart on the blastoderm fate map. This phenomenon is not naturally explained by monotonic gradient models. In contrast, not only transformation between distant regions of the fate map, but also the observed geometries of compartmental boundaries on the wing, and probable ones in the early embryo, are naturally explained by reaction-diffusion models. These systems form a discrete succession of differently shaped monotonic and nonmonotonic eigenfunction gradient patterns of the same morphogens, as the tissue containing the chemical system changes in size and shape, or in other parameters. The successive mirror symmetries in non-monotonic gradients predict that distant regions of the embryo make similar developmental commitments, and also predict specific classes of pattern mutants forming mirror symmetric structures along the embryo on a variety of length scales. Finally, reaction diffusion systems spontaneously generate transverse gradients of the underlying chemicals when more than one eigenfunction is amplified at once, and therefore specify two-dimensional positional information within domains. Although it is attractive, no feature of the combinatorial code hypothesis is verified. Current data relating to whether the sequential formation of compartmental boundaries actually reflects the commitment of the two isolated 'polyclones' to alternative fates, whether any genes act continuously to maintain disc commitments, and whether homoeotic mutants actually 'switch' disc determined states, are assessed.     

Fertilization of Different Types of Embryo Sacs and Its Embryo Formation in Polyembryonic Rice Strain APⅣ

The ferflization and its embryo fonnation of different types of embryo sacs were studied by using the technology of GMA half-section in the APIV strain of polyembryonic rice ( Oryza sativa L. ). In rare cases,all three egg cells in the embryo sac of 5-2-1 type could fertilize and develop into three embryos. But in most cases only one or two egg cells fertilized and developed into one or two embryos in the respective type of embryo sac. The frequency of poly-egg fertilization in total all was very low in the embryo sac of 6-2-0 type and 5-3-0 type. These results indicated that the polyembryos in APIV originated mainly from overall fertilization and develotment of the embryo sac with poly-egg apparatus. This was observed,for example, in 5-2-1 type in which three embryos were fertilized and developed from three egg cells and two embryos from two egg cells. The fertlization process of double set of embryo sac was most complicated, all often abnormal. Only in few ovaries the egg cells in both large and small embeyo sac could fertilize simultaneously. The fertilization and development of egg cells in the large embryo sac might be the main cause of the formation of the so called "mid-seated embryo" (the embryo far from the micropyle end).     

多胚水稻品系APⅣ不同类型胶囊的受精及其胚胎形成

通过GMA半薄切片技术对APⅣ不同类型水稻(Oryza sativa L.)胚囊的受精及其胚胎发育的研究表明,APⅣ中5-2-l型胚囊的3个卵细胞在少数情况下都可受精并发育形成3个胚;但多数情况只有 1个或2个卵细胞受精发育成1个胚或2个胚。6-2-0型和5-3-0型胚囊多个卵受精频率都很低。由此证明APIV多胚是来自如5-2-1型胚囊的多卵卵器胚囊多个卵细胞都受精的结果,其中3胚来自3个卵细胞受精发育,2胚来自2个卵细胞受精发育。双套结构胚囊受精最为复杂,多数情况是受精不正常,只有少数子房大、小胚囊中的卵细胞都能正常受精。大胚囊中的卵细胞受精发育可能是形成所谓中位胚(远离珠孔端胚)的主要原因。     

Establishment of the dorsal/ventral polarity of the amphibian embryo: Use of ultraviolet irradiation and egg rotation as probes

Ultraviolet irradiation and egg rotations were employed as probes for the study of the establishment of the dorsal/ventral polarity of the amphibian embryo. Ultraviolet irradiation was discovered to alter the natural position of the doral lip and to modify the pigmentation pattern of the early embryo. Rotation of the uncleaved egg was found to succeed in relocating the dorsal lip to a new site in the embryo. Also, rotation of the egg was capable of preventing the characteristic defects associated with irradiation of the uncleaved egg. A combination of these probes was employed, and the results were interpreted in terms of models for the role of the egg surface and the internal cytoplasm in the establishment of the dorsal/ventral polarity of the egg.     

Development and the influence of nurse egg allotment on hatching size in Searlesia dira (Reeve, 1846) (Prosobranchia : Buccinidae)

The reproductive biology of the intertidal prosobranch Searlesia dira (Reeve, 1846) was examined with special attention given to variability in the nurse egg to embryo ratio among capsules, among clutches and among geographically isolated populations. Embryos and nurse eggs were distributed among the capsules in a manner consistent with the hypothesis that nurse eggs were genetically predetermined, that each female had a genetically defined nurse egg to embryo ratio, and that each capsule represented a random sample of that ratio. The binomial distribution of embryos and nurse eggs among the capsules resulted in some capsules receiving many more embryos per nurse egg than others. The number of nurse eggs an embryo succeeded in eating was proportional to the number of capsule-mates sharing a capsule. Embryos eating more nurse eggs hatched out at a larger size. Differences in the nurse egg to embryo ratios among capsules in the same clutch were much larger than that of the mean ratios among clutches. Among-site differences in the mean nurse egg to embryo ratios suggest that selection pressure for different mean hatching sizes may have acted on the mean nurse egg to embryo ratios.In contrast to the predictions of optimal hatching size theory, hatching size varied widely within clutches as a consequence of differences in nurse egg to embryo ratios among capsules. This variance may be adaptive for species that lay their eggs months before juveniles emerge into an unpredictable environment, or simply be a consequence of an imperfect mechanism for increasing hatching size.     

Embryogenesis of Polyembryonic Rice ApⅢ: Structural and Histochemical Studies of Egg Apparatus Around Fertilization

The structural and histochemical changes of the egg apparatus in the polyembryonic rice (Oryza sativa L.), ApⅢ with the highest frequence of additional embryos among the polyembryonic rice investigated, before and after fertilization were studied and compared with those of normal and other polyembryonic rices in a similar developmental period. A total of 2 932 ovules were observed and each of them contained only asingle embryo sac with a set of egg apparatus. Among 1 655 embryo sacs, there were 1 643 embryo sacs (99.27%) with one normal egg apparatus in each embryo sac, and only 12 embryo sacs (0.73%) from the remainder with 4 celled egg apparatus, i.e. two eggs and two synergids. Neither the numerous poly egg apparatus and egg like cells, nor the double set of embryo sacs each containing one egg apparatus and other abnormal egg apparatus in single ovary, which were reported by earlier investigators to have high frequency of embryo production in SB 1 and ApⅣ, were observed. The egg cell was located at the subterminal site of the micropylar end of embryo sac. The cytoplasm of egg cell was rich in protein materials and poly saccharide grains, which did not disappear until the division of zygote. The prominent nucleus was closely surrounded by protein and polysaccharide grains, which did not disappear until the division of zygote. No cytological difference was found between egg cells from the normal and abnormal egg apparatus. The two synergids were fully developed and situated at the upper most part of the micropylar end of the mature embryo sac. In most embryo sacs, the synergids were flask shaped with longer necks, and a widened cap shaped top, in close contact with the micropyle. The synergids had a well developed filiform apparatus. The characteristic appearance of the filiform apparatus as well as the cap neck region of synergids before and after pollen tube penetration were easily distinguishable from the egg cell. The structure, the stainability with Coomassie Brilliant Blue and PAS reaction, the process of accumulation, distribution and disapperance of the cytoplasmic protein materials and polysaccharide grains of the two synergids, the persistent and rarely the receptive synergids before and after pollen tube penetration, were closely similar to those of egg cell of the same developmental stage. In comparison with normal and other polyembryonic rice reported, the size of nucleus and nucleolus and their stainability also strongly resembled those of egg cell. Based on the results observed, the main conclusions are summarized as follows: (1) the additional embryos very frequently developed in the young and mature seed of polyembryonic rice ApⅢ were produced by one or two synergids of normal egg apparatus, rarely by 4 celled egg apparatus; (2) during fertilization, the synergids, in addition to the natural specific function of introducing pollen tube and transferring sperms to egg cell and central cell, could be closely associated with the potentiality to breed one or two additional embryos; and (3) as compared with that of normal or other polyembryonic rice it is firstly disclosed that in a few embryo sacs of ApⅢ, the cytoplasmic and nuclear structure, the active anabolism and catabolism of protein and polysaccharide materials and the delayed disorganization at the mid basal region of the receptive and persistent synergid still remained unchanged before the division of zygote. Such salient features could be the predisposition for the origin of additional embryos in ApⅢ.     

Functional morphology of embryonic development in the Port Jackson shark Heterodontus portusjacksoni (Meyer)

The oviparous Port Jackson shark Heterodontus portusjacksoni embryo has a long incubation of 10–11 months during which it undergoes major morphological changes. Initially the egg capsule is sealed from the external environment by mucous plugs in either end of the capsule. Four months into incubation, the egg capsule opens to the surrounding sea water. Fifteen stages of development are defined for this species, the first 10 occur within the sealed capsule, the remaining five after capsule opening to hatching. The functional significance of major definitive characters such as circulation within the yolk membrane and embryo, rhythmic lateral movement of the embryo, external gill filaments, heart activity, internal yolk supplies, egg jelly and the significance of the opening of the egg capsule are described. The egg jelly in the sealed capsule functions to mechanically protect the embryo during early development, however, it eventually creates a hypoxic environment to the embryo as the available oxygen is used up. This generates several physiological challenges to the developing embryo. It is able to overcome these problems by morphological changes such as increasing the effective surface area for gaseous exchange with the development of external gill filaments, fins and extensive circulation in both the embryo and attached external yolk sac. These adaptations become limiting as the embryo grows and respiratory needs outweigh the available oxygen. At this time, the mucous plugs dissolve and the capsule becomes open to the external environment.     

甜菜无融合生殖单体附加系M14 成熟胚囊的超微结构特征

以甜菜无融合生殖单体附加系M14(Beta vulgaris, 2n=18+1)为实验材料, 利用电子显微镜技术对成熟胚囊及其超微结构进行研究。结果表明: M14成熟胚囊包括1个卵细胞、2个退化的助细胞、1个具有次生核的中央细胞和3-6个反足细胞。其卵细胞具有3种不同的形态: (1)极性正常的卵细胞, 细胞核位于合点端, 细胞质含有大量核糖体、线粒体、内质网等细胞器; (2)细胞核位于细胞中央; (3)细胞核位于珠孔端, 且后2种形态细胞器的种类与数量少。大多数胚囊中的2个助细胞在开花前已退化。中央细胞的次生核位于反足细胞附近; 未经受精自发分裂前的卵细胞与中央细胞的细胞核大、核仁明显, 细胞器的种类与数量多, 呈现旺盛代谢活动特征, 成为二倍体孢子无融合生殖过程中, 卵细胞与次生核自发分裂的细胞学标志。     

甜菜无融合生殖单体附加系M14成熟胚囊的超微结构特征

以甜菜无融合生殖单体附加系M14（Betavulgaris,2n=18＋1）为实验材料,利用电子显微镜技术对成熟胚囊及其超微结构进行研究。结果表明：M14成熟胚囊包括1个卵细胞、2个退化的助细胞、1个具有次生核的中央细胞和3-6个反足细胞。其卵细胞具有3种不同的形态：（1）极性正常的卵细胞,细胞核位于合点端,细胞质含有大量核糖体、线粒体、内质网等细胞器;（2）细胞核位于细胞中央;（3）细胞核位于珠孔端,且后2种形态细胞器的种类与数量少。大多数胚囊中的2个助细胞在开花前已退化。中央细胞的次生核位于反足细胞附近;未经受精自发分裂前的卵细胞与中央细胞的细胞核大、核仁明显,细胞器的种类与数量多,呈现旺盛代谢活动特征,成为二倍体孢子无融合生殖过程中,卵细胞与次生核自发分裂的细胞学标志。     

An Ultrastructural Study on the Development of Egg- apparatus in Rice Embryo Sac

The development of the egg-apparatus (consisted of an egg cell and two synergids) of rice ( Oryza sativa L. ) was studied at the uhrastructural level. The walls of the egg cell and synergids, immediately after their formation, possessed numerous plasmodesmata. Plasmodesmata were also present on walls between the egg cell and synergids. During the enlargement phase of the egg cell and synergids, the walls at the tip region began to loosen and vesiculate. By the time the embryo sac became mature, the part of the wall of the egg cell and synergids, facing the chalaza, disappeared. Consequently, the tip regions of the egg cell and synergids were only protected by a plasma membrane. When the embryo sac reached full maturity, the upper and middle region of the wall of the synergids broke up into pieces. At that time one synergid began to degenerate. Plasmodesmata persisted at the hook region of the wall of both the egg cell and synergids. Most plastids in the egg cell contained starch grains that persisted throughout the period of the embryo sac development. Starch grains in the plastids of the synergids appeared only before the time when the two polar-nuclei moved into the region above the egg-apparatus. They then disappeared and did not appear again until the embryo sac had reached full maturity. The size and location of the vacuoles in the egg cell were different from those in the synergids. The time of formation was also different. Vacuoles in the egg cell formed late in comparison with the synergids. Vacuoles in the chalazal region of the egg cell (especially at the early stage of the embryo sac development) were much larger than those in the micropylar region. Vacuoles in the synergids tended to concentrate mainly in the chalazal region. There was a peak period of lipid formation in the two synergids. The peak appeared when the embryo sac neared maturity. At the early stage of development, the nuclei of the synergids were elliptical in shape and were situated at the central region near the micropyle. The shape of the nuclei at the late stage of development became less regular and tended to move more towards the micropylar region. Changes in the uhrastructure of the egg cell and synergids of rice appeared to be closely related to the metabolic processes controlling the embryo sac formation and development.     

中华绒螯蟹正常附着胚胎与流产胚胎的结构特点

用扫描电镜技术观察了中华绒螯蟹正常附着胚胎及流产胚胎的结构特点。结果表明,受精卵从生殖孔排出15min后,孵化室中的孵化液体积增大,使胚胎浸没在孵化液中,胚胎表面具有粘性;产卵后30min．卵柄初步形成;80～140min后卵柄完全形成,胚胎牢固地粘附在携卵绒毛上。正常胚胎的卵柄高度扭曲,上有很多毛状物,同时携卵刚毛上有很多粘液;流产胚胎的卵柄上无毛状物,但卵柄及胚胎表面有许多寄生物附着。携卵刚毛上的粘液及卵柄上的毛状物可能和胚胎附着有关;而胚胎表面寄生物的活动,可能使胚胎外被、卵柄以及卵索的结构发生变化,增加了胚胎之间的摩擦,进而胚胎呼吸困难,以致死亡和流产。     

莴苣胚囊细胞分离

用酶解和解剖方法分离了莴苣的卵细胞,助细胞,中央细胞和合子。莴苣子房先在酶液中酶解40～50min,然后在不含酶的分离液中用解剖针解剖子房。在解剖出的胚囊中,可看到卵细胞,两个助细胞和中央细胞的轮廓。将胚囊的合点端切破,轻轻挤压胚囊的珠孔端,四个细胞即可逸出。在最佳条件下,90min可从40个子房中分离出29个胚囊,进一步从中分离出11个卵细胞。分离出的胚囊细胞用显微操作仪收集备用。莴苣卵细胞的成功分离为进行离体受精探索创造了条件。     

韭菜胚囊发育与胚胎发生

韭菜胚囊发育为葱型,胚胎发生属柳叶菜型。成熟胚囊中,三个反足细胞形态上常类似卵器,其中二个呈助细胞状,一个呈卵细胞状。卵状反足细胞可分裂成多细胞原胚,但随着胚乳的发育而退化。在未受精胚囊中,卵细胞和卵状反足细胞均可分裂,它们的发生过程与合子胚相似,但因无胚乳哺育,均不能继续发育。论证了反足细胞胚的性质,初步探讨了胚乳与反足细胞无配子生殖的关系。     

An Arabidopsis RNA lariat debranching enzyme is essential for embryogenesis

An embryo-defective mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana was isolated that arrests development at a variety of stages, from as early as the globular stage of embryogenesis to as late as formation of an abnormal bent cotyledon stage embryo. Defects in the suspensor, a normally transient structure derived from the fertilized egg, were often associated with the arrested embryo. The lesion was within a gene encoding a protein with domains characteristic of lariat debranching enzymes, which has been named AtDBR1 (for Arabidopsis thaliana Debranching enzyme 1). Cleavage of the 2'-5'-phosphodiester bond found in excised intron lariats ("debranching") is essential for turnover of intronic sequences as well as generation of some small nucleolar RNAs. The mutation within AtDBR1 was confirmed by complementation as being responsible for the embryo-lethal phenotype, and the activity of the encoded protein in cleavage of 2'-5'-phosphodiester bonds was verified using an in vitro debranching assay.     

Parallel effects of a B chromosome and a mite that decrease female fitness in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans

The effects of a genomic parasite (a B chromosome) and an ectoparasite (a mite) on the fitness of the host (the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans) have been analysed in 60 experimental females. These two parasites differ in their infectious transmission mode. B chromosomes are vertically transmitted from host-parents to offspring, but mites are horizontally transmitted from one grasshopper to another within the same generation. The transmission mode can influence the virulence of these parasites, so that it should be expected that B chromosomes would be less virulent than mites. However, as mite transmission is linked to host mobility, some attenuation is also expected. Four egg pods were analysed from each female, the first two egg pods were laid after a mating and the remaining two were not preceded by a mating. The results show that B chromosomes severely decrease the proportion of eggs containing an embryo (egg fertility), mainly from the second egg pod onwards. Mites also decrease egg fertility but, in addition, they produced a decrease in the rate of embryo production over time (embryo productivity), which might be derived from both the fertility decrease and a slight delay in egg production. The analysis of the relative effect of both parasites suggests that they have a synergistic effect on embryo clutch size and egg fertility. Possible mechanisms for the observed effects are discussed.     

黑节草双受精过程及胚胎发育的研究

黑节草从传粉到受精约需１３０ｄ,精子在花粉管中形成,胚囊发育属蓼型胚囊,因反足细胞较早退化,故受精前胚囊多只由卵器和中央细胞组成。精卵核融合时,精核染色质进入卵核后凝集成颗粒状,并在原位与卵核的染色质融合,雌、雄性核仁一直维持至合子的第一次分裂期前。双受精作用正常,属于有丝分裂前配子融合类型,初生胚乳核发生２－３次分裂后逐渐退化消失,胚的发育局限于球形胚阶段。     

Biochemical Studies During the Development of the Chick Embryo

The days when the concentration of conjugated- and free- vitamin B₁₂ per wet weight g increased or decreased agreeded with that of nucleic acids in the chick embryo from 3rd through 18th day of incubation. It is intereresting that the day of increasing or decreasing of those compounds concentration corresponds with the important stages through the growth of embryo. The changes of these compounds in the egg contents free of embryo were estimated. Although a considerable large amount of free vitamin B₁₂ was contained in the embryo, the most vitamin B₁₂ in the egg content except the embryo existed in the conjugated state. It seems that the amount of total vitamin B₁₂ in the egg during the incubation is relatively constant.