Human Genetics

, Volume 80, Issue 3, pp 259–264 | Cite as

The microtubular cytoskeleton and chromosomes of unfertilized human oocytes aged in vitro

  • U. Eichenlaub-Ritter
  • A. Stahl
  • J. M. Luciani
Original Investigations
Received:
Revised:

Summary

To detect structural alterations in human oocytes that may give rise to predisposition to aneuploidy, unfertilized human oocytes from an IVF programme were processed for indirect anti-tubulin immunofluorescence. The spindle of oocytes aged for 2 days is rather small, and bi- or multipolar. Chromosomes are no longer aligned at the spindle equator but are scattered all over the degenerating spindle. This implies that human oocytes aged for 2 days may no longer be able to develop into a chromosomally balanced, normal embryo. In oocytes aged for 3–4 days the chromosomes become more decondensed and form a restitution nucleus. Microtubules radiate out from the latter towards the cell periphery and form a network of fibres in the cytoplasm. A similar alignment of tubules is found in unfertilized, activated oocytes. Oocytes with an aberrant cytoskeleton and chromosomal array were predominantly obtained from aged females. They include two binucleated oocytes with two sets of chromosomes and two oocytes with displaced chromosomes one of which had a tripolar spindle.

Keywords

Internal Medicine Metabolic Disease Structural Alteration Cell Periphery Normal Embryo 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1988

Authors and Affiliations

  • U. Eichenlaub-Ritter
    • 1
  • A. Stahl
    • 2
  • J. M. Luciani
    • 2
  1. 1.Fakultät für Biologie IX der UniversitätBielefeldFederal Rupublic of Germany
  2. 2.Laboratoire de GénétiqueFaculté de MedicineMarseille Cédex 5France

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