J Embryol Exp Morphol 89 Suppl: 1-15 (1985)
The cytoskeleton of Xenopus oocytes and its role in development.
Wylie CC, Brown D, Godsave SF, Quarmby J, Heasman J
Much is known about determinative events in early amphibian embryos, perhaps
more than any other animal group. However, as yet, little attention has
been focused on the cytoarchitecture of the oocyte, and the way in which
this could regulate asymmetries in the egg, which in turn could lead to
developmentally important interactions. The changing cytoarchitecture of
the Xenopus oocyte is described with the emphasis on the following: -firstly
the polarity; the oocyte is not radially symmetrical at early stages of
oogenesis, but shows marked polarity. Secondly, several cytoskeletal elements
change their distribution during oogenesis, and again during maturation
to form a fertilizable egg. Thirdly, monoclonal antibody methods show that
the oocyte develops several asymmetries which are retained in the egg and
early embryo, and may be lineage related.