The dynamics of structural modifications of mitochondria at the early stages of sea urchin embryonic development

The organization of the chondriome and the ultrastructure of mitochondria have been studied in eggs and embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

The egg chondriome is characterized by an arrangement in well-delimited clusters. Analysis of mitochondrial clusters on electron micrographs of ultrathin serial sections shows two kinds of mitochondria of different shapes, the rod-shaped and the spherical. The egg mitochondria have a dense matrix and a well-ordered arrangement of cristae which, in rod-schaped variety, are perpendicular to the major axis.

Cell division is accompanied by significant changes in intracellular distribution of mitochondria and in their structure. At the stage of 2–4 blastomeres, the clusters break up and numerous mitochondrial rods show signs of fragmentation; most of the observable mitochondria are of spherical shape. At the same time, the matrix becomes less dense, and the orderly arrangement of the cristae disappears.

From the blastula to the gastrula stage, the observed modifications are reversed: the number of spherical-shaped mitochondria decreases, while that of the rod-shaped increases; the diameter of the latter is almost equal to the initial diameter of the spherical forms, the matrix becomes dense again and the cristae resume their orderly arrangement.