title: Hypotonic buffer induces meiosis and formation of anucleate cytoplasmic islands in the egg of the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.
abstract: In insects, egg activation is known to occur in vivo and independently of fertilization, but its mechanisms are poorly understood. To gain understanding of these mechanisms, an attempt was made to activate the egg of Gryllus bimaculatus in vitro. It was found that meiosis resumed and was completed in unfertilized eggs treated with hypotonic buffer. Early developmental processes in activated, unfertilized eggs were investigated and compared with those in fertilized eggs. Mitosis did not progress, resulting in formation of anucleate cytoplasmic islands (pseudoenergids). Development in the activated, unfertilized eggs stopped at this stage and both yolk subdivision and cellularization did not occur. To elucidate the role of the nucleus in the developmental process to the syncytial stage in fertilized eggs, eggs were treated with aphidicolin to inhibit DNA polymerization. It was found that pseudoenergids also formed in these aphidicolin-treated fertilized eggs. These results demonstrate that pseudoenergids can increase in number independently of nuclei, suggesting that the cytoplasm rather than the nucleus plays the primary role in development to the syncytial stage in G. bimaculatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minami-Josanjima-cho, Tokushima City 770-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sarashina
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinmyo
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyawaki
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mito
authors.forename: Hideyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohuchi
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horio
authors.forename: Sumihare
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000166:cytology; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000502:physiology*; D008540:Meiosis; D008938:Mitosis; D010063:Ovum / Q000166:cytology*