OOCYTIC MATURATION IN EMERITA ANALOGA (STIMPSON, 1857) (DECAPODA: ANOMURA)

Abstract

Morphological and biochemical changes occurred during the maturation process in the ovary of Emérita analoga are described. Considering the size and the main structural and ultrastructural characteristics of the germinative ovarían cells, the oogonia and three oocytic maturation stages are characterized: inmaturo oocytes, vitellogenicoocyteat early maturation, and oocyte at advanced maturation. The vitellogenic oocytes at early maturation stage are able to synthesize their own vitellus, incorporation of exogenous vitellus by micropynocitosis take place later and continúes till the advande maturation stage. The lipidie characterization of the ovary at its different stages of maturation shows qualitative variations of the presence of cholesterol, phosphatidyl-choline (PC), phosphatidyl-serine (PS), and phosphatidyl-etalonamine (PE). Only PE is identified on the inmaturo ovary, and predominance of PC can be seen on the maturo ovary. The electrophoretic protein proíileof the oocytes at different stages of the vitellogenesis, revealed theexistenceofacharacteristic pattern of polypeptides ranging from 92 to 235 kDa.