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Immune relations between mother and foetus in the viviparous poeciliid fish Xiphophorus hellerii Haeckel
Author(s) -
Hogarth P. J.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1973.tb04436.x
Subject(s) - biology , human fertilization , xiphophorus , embryo , transplantation , chimera (genetics) , andrology , immune system , fetus , zoology , pregnancy , immunology , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , fish <actinopterygii> , medicine , fishery , genetics , gene
Advanced embryos of the viviparous poeciliid fish Xiphophorus hellerii (swordtail) were removed from the site of gestation within the ovary and re‐implanted into the peritoneal cavities of unrelated immunologically competent adults of the same species. Most of those transplanted with intact fertilization membranes were normal in appearance, and many were clearly still alive. Those transplanted without a fertilization membrane were all dead, with lymphocyte infiltration and other evidence of rejection as allografts. The integrity of the membrane in late pregnancy was indicated by swelling of follicles in hypoosmotic liquid. It was concluded that the fertilization membrane is capable of protecting an antigenically foreign embryo in an immunologically hostile environment, and that it probably serves this function during normal pregnancy.