ScienceAsia 27 (2001) : 015-019 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2001.27.015

Morphology and Regional Distribution of the Primordial Germ Cells in the Giant Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Praneet Damrongphol^* and Pleanphit Jaroensastraraks

ABSTRACT:Primordial germ cells (PGCs) of early developing embryos of Macrobrachium rosenbergii were detected at 1.5-2.5 days of development. They were large round cells containing a large nucleus with prominent nucleoli and granulated cytoplasm. They were not reactive to periodic acid-Schiff reaction and showed negative alkaline phosphatase activity. In 6.5-day-old embryo, a cluster of PGCs occupied the dorso-medial region behind the yolky portion. In 14.5-day-old embryo, they were observed at the posterior of the heart. The PGCs were not observed either in the testis or ovary. Only type I spermatogonia showed certain resemblance to the embryo PGCs.

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Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

* Corresponding author, E-mail: scpdr@mahidol.ac.th

Received 12 Jun 2000, Accepted 19 Dec 2000