Atypical basal bodies in a cat with immotile-cilia syndrome

Atypical basal bodies from the oviductal mucosa of a female, 2.5-years-old cat suffering from immotile-cilia syndrome are described. The microtubular pattern was observed in 250 cross-sectional basal bodies. Four basal bodies (1.6%) had a defective number of microtubular triplets resulting in the appearance of so-called 'half-centriole' type. Two out of 100 longitudinal basal bodies showed duplicating striated rootlets and only one had an additional set of nine subdistal appendages, so that two basal feet arose from a single basal body. Electron-dense material and isolated microtubules into the lumen of some basal apparatuses were occasionally seen. It is known that centrioles and basal bodies show an unusual degree of constancy in size, shape and geometrical configuration, so that their abnormalities are very rare.