Cleavage in vivo and in vitro in the marsupial Macropus eugenii

Abstract

In the tammar wallaby, transport down the oviduct takes less than 24 h after fertilization and a mucoid coat is deposited within a few hours of fertilization, with excess spermatozoa trapped in the mucoid layer. The mucin coat thickens as the zygote passes down the oviduct. A proteinaceous shell is laid down outside the mucin coat in the utero-tubal region of the tract. The fertilized zygote enters the uterus in the pronuclear stage with cleavage proceeding in the uterus. In vivo, the first cleavage takes place two days post coitum (p.c.) (approximately 24 h after ovulation) but the next three cleavage stages may be completed within 24 h (between 48 h and 72 h p.c.). Thus, cell-doubling time..