SPHERES, COILED BODIES AND NUCLEAR-BODIES

Of several distinct aggregations or nuclear bodies in the nucleus, two of the most prominent are the sphere organelle and the coiled body. Recent molecular studies indicate that the coiled body found in interphase nuclei may be identical to the sphere organelle round in the amphibian oocyte nucleus. This is not the first time an interphase nuclear body has been suspected of being the same as a structure in the oocyte nucleus; the first such structure was the nucleolus. Both the sphere organelle and the nucleolus are attached to site-specific loci on oocyte lampbrush chromosomes. Because of their unique morphologies and utility in reproducibly identifying specific genetic elements, they have been referred to as lampbrush chromosomal landmarks. The discovery of the way nucleoli arise has led to an understanding of their function, and for this reason I discuss current models for the genesis of spheres.