ATYPICAL BASAL BODIES IN A CAT WITH IMMOTILE-CILIA SYNDROME

Atypical basal bodies from the oviductal mucosa of a female, 2.5-years -old cat suffering from immotile-cilia syndrome are described. The mic rotubular pattern was observed in 250 cross-sectioned basal bodies. Fo ur basal bodies (1.6%) had a defective number of microtubular triplets resulting in the appearance of so-called 'half-centriole' type. Two o ut of 100 longitudinal basal bodies showed duplicating striated rootle ts and only one had an additional set of nine subdistal appendages, so that two basal feet arose from a single basal body. Electron-dense ma terial and isolated microtubules into the lumen of some basal apparatu ses were occasionally seen. It is known that centrioles and basal bodi es show an unusual degree of constancy in size, shape and geometrical configuration, so that their abnormalities are very rare.