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Oogenesis in the leech Glossiphonia heteroclita (Annelida, Hirudinea, Glossiphonidae). I. Ovary structure and previtellogenic growth of oocytes

✍ Scribed by Piotr Świątek


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2005
Tongue
English
Weight
933 KB
Volume
266
Category
Article
ISSN
0362-2525

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✦ Synopsis


Glossiphonia heteroclita has paired ovaries whose shape and dimensions change as oogenesis proceeds: during early previtellogenesis they are small and club-shaped, whereas during vitellogenesis they broaden and elongate considerably. During early oogenesis (previtellogenesis), each ovary is composed of an outer envelope (ovisac) that surrounds the ovary cavity and is filled with hemocoelomic fluid, in which a single and very convoluted ovary cord is bathed. The ovary cord consists of germline cells, including nurse cells and young oocytes surrounded by a layer of elongated follicle cells. Additionally, follicle cells with long cytoplasmic projections occur inside the ovary cord, where they separate germ cells from each other. The ovary cord contains thousands of nurse cells. Each nurse cell has one intercellular bridge, connecting it to a central anucleate cytoplasmic mass, the cytophore (rachis); it in turn is connected by one intercellular bridge with each growing oocyte. Numerous mitochondria, RER cisternae, ribosomes, and Golgi complexes are transported from the nurse cells, via the intercellular bridge and cytophore, to the growing oocytes. Oogenesis in G. heteroclita is synchronous with all oocytes in the ovary in the same stage of oogenesis. The youngest observed oocytes are slightly larger than nurse cells, and usually occupy the periphery of the ovary cord. As previtellogenesis proceeds, the oocytes gather a vast amount of cell organelles and become more voluminous. As a result, in late previtellogenesis the oocytes gradually protrude into the ovary cavity. Simultaneously with oocyte growth, the follicle cells differentiate into two subpopulations. The morphology of the follicle cells surrounding the nurse cells and penetrating the ovary cord does not change, whereas those enveloping the growing oocytes become more voluminous. Their plasma membrane invaginates deeply, forming numerous broad vesicles that eventually seem to form channels or conducts through which the hemocoelomic fluid can easily access the growing oocytes.


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✍ Piotr Świątek 📂 Article 📅 2005 🏛 John Wiley and Sons 🌐 English ⚖ 744 KB

Oogenesis in the glossiphoniid leech Glossiphonia heteroclita (Hirudinea, Rhynchobdellida) is nutrimental, i.e., the growing oocyte is supported by specialized germline cells, the nurse cells. The main function of the nurse cells is to provide oocytes with cell organelles and RNAs (mainly rRNA). How