title: Ultrastructure and composition of Call-Exner bodies in bovine follicles.
abstract: Call-Exner bodies are present in ovarian follicles of a range of species including human and rabbit, and in a range of human ovarian tumors. We have also found structures resembling Call-Exner bodies in bovine preantral and small antral follicles. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of single sections of bovine ovaries has shown that 30% of preantral follicles with more than one layer of granulosa cells and 45% of small (less than 650 microns) antral follicles have at least one Call-Exner body composed of a spherical eosinophilic region surrounded by a rosette of granulosa cells. Alcian blue stains the spherical eosinophilic region of the Call-Exner bodies. Electron microscopy has demonstrated that some Call-Exner bodies contain large aggregates of convoluted basal lamina, whereas others also contain regions of unassembled basal-lamina-like material. Individual chains of the basal lamina components type IV collagen (alpha 1 to alpha 5) and laminin (alpha 1, beta 2 and delta 1) have been immunolocalized to Call-Exner bodies in sections of fresh-frozen ovaries. Bovine Call-Exner bodies are presumably analogous to Call-Exner bodies in other species but are predominantly found in preantral and small antral follicles, rather than large antral follicles. With follicular development, the basal laminae of Call-Exner bodies change in their apparent ratio of type IV collagen to laminin, similar to changes observed in the follicular basal lamina, suggesting that these structures have a common cellular origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, Australia.
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: van Wezel
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Irving-Rodgers
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sado
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000032:analysis; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D007797:Laminin; D003094:Collagen