Automated measurement of lysosomal structure alterations in oocytes of mussels exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons.

The present study examines the structure of the lysosomal system of mature oocytes in mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, after a 21 day exposure to the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of two crude oils (types Ural and Maya) and of a commercial lubricant oil. The automated image analysis indicates that lysosomes, showing cytochemically demonstrable beta-glucuronidase activity, are smaller and much more numerous in oocytes of mussels treated with a 40% dose of Ural- and Lubricant-WAF when compared to controls. It is suggested that the structure of the lysosomal system of oocytes is different from that of somatic cells (i.e., digestive cells) and that budding or "fission" into smaller bodies occurs in oocyte lysosomes under certain petroleum hydrocarbon-exposure conditions. These changes in the lysosomal compartment appear to be associated to the process of gamete release or spawning.