256
JOHN RUNNSTRÖM
In Brissopsis the experiment with periodate gave, on the whole, the
same results as in Psammechinus.
Despite the considerable increase in
surface area with periodate treatment, the plasma membrane maintains
its normal thickness all over the surface of the oocyte. This indicates the
presence of a mechanism for rapid repair of the plasma membrane.
Runnström (1923, 1928a) studied oocytes with dark ground illumination
and stated that the surface had a weak white color; after maturation,
however, the color of the surface was yellow-orange. Runnström (1928a)
noted that in the maturation of the oocyte the color change began at the
vegetal pole and spread slowly in the animal direction. The yellow color
was very bright immediately after maturation but later turned more
grayish. As will be discussed in Section II,C, the change of color from
white to yellow must mean that the cortical layer receives the cortical
particles that influence the interference color obtained with dark-ground
illumination.
C. Histochemical and Incorporation Studies of Cortical Particles
Ficq (1957) made autoradiographic studies on the incorporation of
glycine into the oocytes of Asterias. One-hundred times higher specific
activity was found in the nucleoli as compared with the cytoplasm,
whereas the specific activity in the germinal vesicle was ca. three times
higher than in the cytoplasm. The incorporation was particularly high
in the nucleolus. Immers (1961b) injected hydrolyzates of C
14
-labeled
algal proteins into the body cavity of several sea urchins and studied
the incorporation within the ovaries by autoradiography. A general
labeling was found in the follicular epithelium, whereas in the oocyte
the labeling was mainly concentrated in the germinal vesicles, particularly the nucleolus. A labeling of the cytoplasm appeared slowly.
Immers (loc. cit.) injected also S
3 5 0 4 into the body cavity and found
a general labeling of the follicle cells. In the oocyte no incorporation
into germinal vesicle or nucleolus was observed. In contradistinction, the
cytoplasm was rather uniformly labeled by S
3 5 0 4 (Immers, 1961b, Fig.
6). The same region was positive to the periodic acid Schiff staining reaction. From this it seems probable that the S
3 5 0 4 is incorporated into
sulfated polysaccharides (Immers, 1961b). On the other hand, Hale's
iron acetic reagent gave no staining. This must mean that the sulfate
groups of the polysaccharides are masked by linkage to proteins. Attempts to stain the oocyte cytoplasm with Alcian blue were also negative
(Immers, unpublished results, 1964). This stain is regarded as a test of
acid polysaccharides; it does not react only with acid groups such as
sulfate, but also with other groups within the polysaccharides. A masking of the acid groups, however, decreases the staining considerably. The
JOHN RUNNSTRÖM
In Brissopsis the experiment with periodate gave, on the whole, the
same results as in Psammechinus.
Despite the considerable increase in
surface area with periodate treatment, the plasma membrane maintains
its normal thickness all over the surface of the oocyte. This indicates the
presence of a mechanism for rapid repair of the plasma membrane.
Runnström (1923, 1928a) studied oocytes with dark ground illumination
and stated that the surface had a weak white color; after maturation,
however, the color of the surface was yellow-orange. Runnström (1928a)
noted that in the maturation of the oocyte the color change began at the
vegetal pole and spread slowly in the animal direction. The yellow color
was very bright immediately after maturation but later turned more
grayish. As will be discussed in Section II,C, the change of color from
white to yellow must mean that the cortical layer receives the cortical
particles that influence the interference color obtained with dark-ground
illumination.
C. Histochemical and Incorporation Studies of Cortical Particles
Ficq (1957) made autoradiographic studies on the incorporation of
glycine into the oocytes of Asterias. One-hundred times higher specific
activity was found in the nucleoli as compared with the cytoplasm,
whereas the specific activity in the germinal vesicle was ca. three times
higher than in the cytoplasm. The incorporation was particularly high
in the nucleolus. Immers (1961b) injected hydrolyzates of C
14
-labeled
algal proteins into the body cavity of several sea urchins and studied
the incorporation within the ovaries by autoradiography. A general
labeling was found in the follicular epithelium, whereas in the oocyte
the labeling was mainly concentrated in the germinal vesicles, particularly the nucleolus. A labeling of the cytoplasm appeared slowly.
Immers (loc. cit.) injected also S
3 5 0 4 into the body cavity and found
a general labeling of the follicle cells. In the oocyte no incorporation
into germinal vesicle or nucleolus was observed. In contradistinction, the
cytoplasm was rather uniformly labeled by S
3 5 0 4 (Immers, 1961b, Fig.
6). The same region was positive to the periodic acid Schiff staining reaction. From this it seems probable that the S
3 5 0 4 is incorporated into
sulfated polysaccharides (Immers, 1961b). On the other hand, Hale's
iron acetic reagent gave no staining. This must mean that the sulfate
groups of the polysaccharides are masked by linkage to proteins. Attempts to stain the oocyte cytoplasm with Alcian blue were also negative
(Immers, unpublished results, 1964). This stain is regarded as a test of
acid polysaccharides; it does not react only with acid groups such as
sulfate, but also with other groups within the polysaccharides. A masking of the acid groups, however, decreases the staining considerably. The