Parthenogenesis and cytoskeletal organization in ageing mouse eggs.

The cytoskeletal organization of the mouse egg changes during ageing in vivo and in vitro. The earliest change observed is the disappearance of the microfilament-rich area overlying the meiotic spindle. This is followed by the migration of the spindle towards the centre of the egg. Finally the spindle breaks down and the chromosomes are no longer organized on a metaphase plate. This spindle disruption may result from changes in the microtubule nucleating material found at the spindle poles and from an increase in the critical concentration for tubulin polymerization. It is possible to correlate the changes in the cytoskeletal organization of the egg occurring during ageing with the different types of parthenogenetic embryos obtained after ethanol activation. These observations strengthen the hypothesis that the actin-rich cortical area that overlies the meiotic spindle forms a domain to which the meiotic cleavage furrow is restricted and provides some insights into the mechanisms by which different types of parthenogenetic embryos are generated.