title: Oogenesis of microlecithal oocytes in the viviparous teleost Heterandria formosa.
abstract: Viviparous teleosts exhibit two patterns of embryonic nutrition: lecithotrophy (when nutrients are derived from yolk that is deposited in the oocyte during oogenesis) and matrotrophy (when nutrients are derived from the maternal blood stream during gestation). Nutrients contained in oocytes of matrotrophic species are not sufficient to support embryonic development until term. The smallest oocytes formed among the viviparous poeciliid fish occur in the least killifish, Heterandria formosa, these having diameters of only 400 μm. Accordingly, H. formosa presents the highest level of matrotrophy among poeciliids. This study provides histological details occurring during development of its microlecithal oocytes. Five stages occur during oogenesis: oogonial proliferation, chromatin nucleolus, primary growth (previtellogenesis), secondary growth (vitellogenesis), and oocyte maturation. H. formosa, as in all viviparous poeciliids, has intrafollicular fertilization and gestation. Therefore, there is no ovulation stage. The full-grown oocyte of H. formosa contains a large oil globule, which occupies most of the cell volume. The oocyte periphery contains the germinal vesicle, and ooplasm that includes cortical alveoli, small oil droplets and only a few yolk globules. The follicular cell layer is initially composed of a single layer of squamous cells during early previtellogenesis, but these become columnar during early vitellogenesis. They are pseudostratified during late vitellogenesis and reduce their height becoming almost squamous in full-grown oocytes. The microlecithal oocytes of H. formosa represent an extreme in fish oogenesis typified by scarce yolk deposition, a characteristic directly related to matrotrophy.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F. 04510, México. uribearanzabal@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: Mari Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Uribe
authors.forename: Harry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Grier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003532:Cyprinodontiformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D008540:Meiosis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009866:Oogenesis; D009867:Oogonia / Q000166:cytology; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology; D014818:Vitellogenesis