RESEARCH FILMS

Ascidians

Fertilization, Meiotic Calcium Waves, and Calcium Wave Pacemakers (PM) in Ascidian Eggs

- Meiotic Calcium Wave Pacemaker PM2 in action
- Mixing the natural (PM1,PM2) and artificial (PM3) Calcium Wave Pacemakers
- The first Calcium Wave Pacemaker PM1 is responsible for the Fertilization Calcium wave and other waves whose initiation site moves vegetally
- Endoplasmic Reticulum Domains in Ascidian Eggs
- ER-rich Domains are also Cytosol-rich domains

The Cortical and Cytoplasmic Reorganisations behind 2 Major Phases of Ooplasmic Segregation in Ascidian Eggs

- Meiotic contractions, Vegetal button formation, Second Major Phase of Ooplasmic Segregation, mitosis and cleavage
- A Cortical ER-rich domain moves and concentrates vegetally during the first Major Phase of Ooplasmic Segregation
- Mitochondria-rich Myoplasm Domain moves and concentrates vegetally during the Second Phase of Ooplasmic Segregation
- Close up of Second Phase of Ooplasmic Segregation
- The Vegetal Button protrudes transiently in the vegetal cortex between the first and second major phases of Oooplasmic Segregation
- Close up view of the Vegetal Button with the tuft of Microvilli
- Fertilization, contraction, and concentration of the Mitochondria-rich Myoplasm Domain vegetally during the First Major Phase of Ooplasmic Segregation
- Reorganisations at the Egg surface between Meiosis I (10 minutes after fertilization) and first Cleavage (50 minutes)

Fertilization

- From fertilization to first cleavage
- Fertilization, contraction, and concentration of the Mitochondria-rich Myoplasm Domain vegetally during the First Major Phase of Ooplasmic Segregation

From Egg to Tadpole

- 2 Ascidian Tadpoles develop overnight from 8 cell stage embryos

Chaetognaths

Films on Chaetognaths

- Formation of the Germ Granule in the Chaetognath Saggita bipunctata
- The Germ Granule in the Chaetognath Saggita bipunctata forms in the vegetal cortex

Beroe

Films on Beroe

-The ctenophore Beroe ovata Fertilization in the ctenophore Beroe ovata
-Fertilization in the ctenophore Beroe ovata
-The egg pronucleus “choses” amongst several sperm nuclei
-Meeting of sperm and egg pronuclei
-Displacement of the egg pronucleus under the surface Random motion of the egg pronucleus in an unfertilized egg
-Female pronucleus “chosing” a male pronucleus
-Fusion of egg and sperm nuclei