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Novel surface specialization on a sea anemone egg: “Spires” of actin‐filled microvilli
Author(s) -
Schroeder Thomas E.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051740209
Subject(s) - biology , sea anemone , ultrastructure , microfilament , actin , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , cytoskeleton , botany , cell , biochemistry
The ultrastructure of the “spiny” surface of Tealia crassicornis eggs is examined in detail by scanning and transmission electron microscopy in order to understand its function. Long microvilli are clustered together in spiral aggregates of 50–75 microvilli called “spires.” There are about 15,000 spires per egg. Dense bundles of microfilaments making up the cores of these microvilli are shown to be composed of actin by staining with the fluorescent dye nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD)‐phallacidin. It is postulated that the bundles of actin and the spires of microvilli are stiff and provide reinforcement to the egg surface. Such postulated properties would provide physical protection for these large eggs which, unlike the eggs of most invertebrates, appear to lack all extracellular investing coats.