Ultrastural observation of oocytes from six coral species for use in cryopreservation studies

• Main Authors: Wei-Chieh Chang, 張威傑
• Other Authors: Chia-Hsin Lin
• Format: Others
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/33131245433414816098

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 海洋生物科技研究所 === 101 === Due to pollution, overfishing, and climate and environmental change, coral reefs are facing a serious crisis of survival. Cryopreservation techniques can be applied to coral gamete and embryo gene bank through in vitro fertilization methods, which can reduce genetic variation and the decline of coral reefs. This study used transmission electron microscopy on six speecies of hard coral oocyte ultrastructure: Oxypora lacera, Echinopora gemmacea, Montipora incrassat, Montipora hispida, Galaxea fascicularis and Merulina ampliata. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the six types of coral oocyte’s average diameter and the organelle class size. It was also found that the formation of yolk bodies was either due to the accumulation of micro follicular or formation within the vesicles. The microvilli of oocytes from six coral species were tubular, which offers the oocytes a protection mechanism. The yolk bodies and the liposomes served as an energy storage tank, while the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies and other organelles follicular were involved in the oocytes’ biosynthesis process. Symbiotic algae in the coral oocyte supplied nutrients, which caused morphological changes in the liposomes. This was different compared to gorgonians (Junceella juncea). In the presence of symbiotic dinoflagellates of M. incrassat oocytes, the yolk bodies and the ratio of liposomes was also different. This study will assist in development of suitable procedures for further cryopreservation studies on coral oocytes.