Centrioles and centrospheres in giant cells of human gliomas
Friedländer, M.
Journal of Submicroscopic Cytology 14(2): 401-406
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-4782 PMID: 7077718 Document Number: 190772
The ultrastructure and distribution of the centrioles and centrospheres in giant cells of three human gliomas were studied. In contrast with data on giant cells of other tumors, no enlarged centrospheres containing clusters of more than four centrioles could be found. Nor were any structural abnormalities of the centrioles encountered. In over 300 micrographs containing centrioles, the majority of the centrioles were solitary, a few formed diplosomes and rarely clusters of four. These findings do not support the view that giant tumor cells display anomalies in the structure or behaviour of the centrioles. Indeed, in these cells, as in normal non-giant cells, the clustering and distribution of the centrioles may reflect the status of the particular cell in the mitotic cycle. Our findings are consistent with the idea that giant cells may originate from several cycles of endoreduplication.