Pesce M, De Felici M
Department of Public Health and Cell Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
Anat Embryol (Berl). 1994 May;189(5):435-40. doi: 10.1007/BF00185438.
A detailed study of the death in vitro of mouse primordial germ cell (PGCs) by means of transmission and scanning electron microscopy is reported. The results show that after 4-5 h of culture 15-20% PGCs assume the typical morphological features of apoptotic cells, including chromatin condensation in dense masses under the nuclear membrane, compaction of the cytoplasm, crowding of organelles and surface protuberances. Cells then break up into discrete fragments (apoptotic bodies) which eventually degenerate by "secondary necrosis". It is possible that apoptosis plays a biologically useful role in avoiding uncontrolled PGC proliferation and in eliminating misplaced germ cells whose survival might be harmful to the animal.
本文报道了通过透射电子显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对小鼠原始生殖细胞（PGCs）体外死亡进行的详细研究。结果显示，培养4-5小时后，15-20%的PGCs呈现出凋亡细胞的典型形态特征，包括核膜下致密块状的染色质凝聚、细胞质浓缩、细胞器聚集以及表面突起。细胞随后分裂成离散的碎片（凋亡小体），最终通过“继发性坏死”而退化。凋亡可能在避免PGCs不受控制的增殖以及消除位置不当的生殖细胞方面发挥生物学上有益的作用，这些生殖细胞的存活可能对动物有害。
