ISSN:
0148-7280
Keywords:
oogenesis
;
oocyte growth
;
Xenopus laevis
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
When female Xenopus laevis are injected with [3H]-vitellogenin or [14C] N-acetyl glucosamine, most of the labeled material becomes associated three days later with oocytes having a diameter of 0.9-1.1 mm; smaller and larger oocytes are less labeled. With time, the pattern of labeling shifts to larger oocytes, indicating that those oocytes initially labeled continue to grow. We have measured such shifts as a function of time to provide estimates for oocyte growth rates from the end of stage III (diameter = 0.6 mm) to stage VI (diameter = 1.2 mm). The total time required for oocytes to progress through this size increase is 16-24 weeks in unstimulated females and 9-12 weeks in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated females. The fastest rate of growth occurs from mid-stage IV (approximately 0.8 mm diameter) until midstage V (1.2 mm diameter), which corresponds to the period of most pronounced vitellogenin uptake. The relative proportion of oocytes within this size range is also reduced, as predicted under steady-stage conditions. Evidence is also presented which indicates that the steady-state level of full-grown oocytes is maintained by a combination of replenishment and atresia. These results provide the first description of the kinetics of oocyte growth in X laevis females maintained under normal laboratory conditions and should be useful for any considerations of macromolecular events occurring during oogenesis.
Additional Material:
4 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrd.1120020204
