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The fine structure of oogonia and oocytes in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)

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Summary

The ovaries of foetal and neonatal rhesus monkeys have been examined with the electron microscope. The fine structure of the germ cells (oogonia; oocytes at the preleptotene, leptotene, zygotene, pachytene and diplotene stages of meiotic prophase) closely resembles that of corresponding human cells. Stages in spontaneous atresia are also described.

Cytoplasmic organelles in oogonia are sparse and are grouped mainly at one pole of the nucleus, but become dispersed and more abundant as oogenesis proceeds. The nuclei of oogonia contain a random fibrillar matrix which becomes organized into threads at pre-leptotene. At leptotene these chromosomal threads each contain a dense axial “core”; during zygotene they become loosely paired in a “bouquet” arrangement and at pachytene the bivalents contain synaptinemal complexes. “Single” cores reappear at diplotene, surrounded by a complex fibrillar sheath organized into lateral projections and loops with associated granules: such chromosomes resemble those in human primordial oocytes although they are more diffuse. These findings support the view that at the diplotene stage mammalian oocytes contain chromosomes of the lampbrush type.

Observations on the monkey are compared with those on other species, and the ways in which chromosomal organization may influence the radiosensitivity of oocytes is discussed.

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Author notes

  1. T. G. Baker

    Present address: Hormone Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Edinburgh, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, University of Birmingham, U.K.

    T. G. Baker & L. L. Franchi

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  1. T. G. Baker
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  2. L. L. Franchi
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Additional information

This study was supported by grants to Lord Zuckerman, O.M., K.C.B., F.R.S. by the Medical Research Council and the Ford Foundation, and to Dr. H. M. Beaumont by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission [Contract no. AT(30-1)3846]. We are indebted to Dr. Beaumont for her valuable advice during the preparation of the manuscript, and to Mr. J. A. Wallington for technical assistance.

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Baker, T.G., Franchi, L.L. The fine structure of oogonia and oocytes in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Z.Zellforsch 126, 53–74 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306780

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