Title
Cytophotometric Evidence for the Transformation of Oocytes Into Nurse Cells in Drosophila Melanogaster
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-1985
Description
A small proportion of ovarian chambers from females homozygous for the otu7 (for ovarian tumor) mutation contain an "oocyte" that in its nuclear morphology resembles a nurse cell. Such transformed oocytes also appear in colchicine-poisoned wild type ovaries. Cytophotometric estimates demonstrate that these oocytes have undergone 3-4 additional DNA replications, but that they lag behind the adjacent nurse cells by an average of 1.3 replication cycles. It follows that, under certain circumstances, the definitive oocyte can switch to the nurse cell developmental pathway and therefore that a mechanism normally exists for preventing the further replication of its DNA. In the case of otu7, oocytes sometimes restart their endocyclic DNA replications and produce paired, polytene, homologous chromosomes.
Citation Information
King, R. C.; Rasch, E. M.; Riley, S. F.; O'Grady, P. M.; and Storto, P. D.. 1985. Cytophotometric Evidence for the Transformation of Oocytes Into Nurse Cells in Drosophila Melanogaster. Histochemistry. Vol.82(2). 131-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00708196 PMID: 3922925 ISSN: 0301-5564