Oocyte structure in dominant and subordinate follicles in zebu cattle (Bos indicus)

The objective of the study was to investigate the light and ultrastructural morphology of dominant and subordinate oocytes from zebu (Bos indicus) cattle. Healthy cycling animals, which had a well-developed corpus luteum as judged by rectal palpation, were administered cloprostenol to induce luteolysis and therefore ovulation. The animals were slaughtered at days 3-11 post-ovulation, but those slaughtered at days 8-11 received a second injection of cloprostenol at day 7. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated from the largest (dominant) and the second largest (subordinate) follicles, and processed for transmission electron microscopy. Up to day 7, the dominant oocyte presented a peripherally located spherical oocyte nucleus with a compact dense fibrillar nucleolus. After day 7, the nuclear envelope became undulated and the nucleolus vacuolated. The nuclei contained an average of four nucleoli. In addition to vesicles, mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complexes and cortical granules, the ooplasm contained annulate lamellae and microtubules. Moreover, mitochondrial granules and pleomorphic forms of mitochondria were commonly observed. Some subordinate oocytes exhibited advanced stages of meiotic maturation. It is concluded that (1) the dominant oocyte undergoes certain prematurational changes, including nucleolus vacuolation, in the period from luteolysis up to the presumptive occurrence of the LH peak and (2) subordinate oocytes may undergo meiotic maturation.