Mosaic haploid-diploid embryos and polyspermy in the tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica

We investigated meiosis, fertilization, and early development in eggs of the tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica (L.), which has external fertilization. Meiosis is standard but polyspermy is found to be very common. In all eight crosses examined, mosaic embryos consisting of a mixture of diploid (2n =...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luttikhuizen, PC, Pijnacker, LP
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2002
Subjects:
bivalves
fertilization
embryos
polyspermy
mosaicism
OYSTER CRASSOSTREA-GIGAS
BLOCKING POLYSPERMY
OOCYTES
EGGS
MECHANISMS
VIRGINICA
MOLLUSCA
MUSSEL
Crassostrea gigas
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11370/c92a49a5-6d45-450c-b1e2-62baa5c549ab
https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/c92a49a5-6d45-450c-b1e2-62baa5c549ab
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Summary:We investigated meiosis, fertilization, and early development in eggs of the tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica (L.), which has external fertilization. Meiosis is standard but polyspermy is found to be very common. In all eight crosses examined, mosaic embryos consisting of a mixture of diploid (2n = 38) and haploid cells occur at a frequency ranging from 2.7 to 29.1%. The earliest mosaic found is in the two-cell stage. We propose that an androgenic haploid cell lineage can originate from one supernumerary sperm that decondenses into a functional haploid nucleus, starts mitosis, and is incorporated in the developing embryo.

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