Martí M, Grossmann M, Santaló J, Egozcue J, Ponsà M. Characteristics of actin fibers and ultrastructure of the contact regions involved in the separation of blastomeres of two-cell mouse embryos, frozen-thawed without the zona pellucida.
Cryobiology 1997;
34:94-106. [PMID:
9130382 DOI:
10.1006/cryo.1996.1983]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Freezing of embryos deprived of the zona pellucida (ZP) decreases their survival rate immediately after thawing, and gives rise to the separation of their blastomeres in a high percentage of cases. We have studied the ultrastructure and the characteristics of actin fibers in the cell-to-cell contact region in mouse embryos frozen-thawed without the ZP at the two-cell stage. Our results indicate that most of the embryos that retain their blastomeres united after freezing and thawing show either the presence of a midbody, or a contact region with a close apposition of the plasma membranes but without an organized actin cortex in their contact region. Only a small percentage of embryos that retain their blastomeres united after freezing and thawing show a contact region with widely separated plasma membranes and an organized actin cytocortex.
Collapse