Megasporogenesis and female gametophyte development were investigated in ovules of the everbearing strawberry Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv. Selva. Observations of thin sections revealed that ovule development starts from the formation of a nucellus and coincides in time with the beginning of receptacle overgrowth. The most characteristic feature during nucellus differentiation is the formation of a multicellular archesporium, beginning from at least two cells. Analysis of female gametophyte development indicated that in addition to the meiotic mode, female gametophytes develop by an apomeiotic mode of Antennaria type. Asynchronous development of female gametophytes of different origin occurs. The mature, eight-nucleate, seven-celled female gametophyte of meiotic origin is cylindrical and slightly curved. It occupies the central part of the nucellus. The egg apparatus, consisting of an egg cell and two synergids, is formed in the micropylar part of the female gametophyte; the opposite chalazal pole is occupied by antipodal cells. Besides the ovule in which only one seven-celled female gametophyte finally develops, ovules with a different number of cells were observed to initiate female gametophyte development. Some ovules contain a nucellus with a tetrad of linearly arranged megaspores surrounded by enlarged cells, each of which has the potential to develop into an apomictic female gametophyte. After degeneration of some post-meiotic cells or developmentally advanced female gametophytes, some of the chalazal cells initiated female gametophyte development.
The aim of this study was to determine how puerperal metritis influences the resumption of estrous cycle in dairy cows. The ovaries of 72 multiparous Holstein cows (38 healthy and 34 metritic – after treatment) were ultrasonographically scanned until the first ovulation post- partum and 7 days after to confirm the ovulation. All 72 cows were divided in to 4 groups: HSO (healthy with single ovulation) (n=29), MSO (metritic with single ovulation) (n=21), HDO (healthy with double ovulation) (n=9), and MDO (metritic with double ovulation) (n=13). The proportion of cows that had DO in the first ovulation postpartum was similar between M and H groups, 38.2% and 23.6%, respectively (p>0.05). There was a difference between HDO and MDO groups comparing the first dominant follicle ovulation postpartum (11.4±2.7 and 20±1 days, respectively p<0.05) and the diameter of the ovulatory follicles (15.3±1.9 mm and 17.3±1.7 mm, respectively p<0.05). The percentage of cows that had double follicle domi- nance in the first follicular wave after first ovulation was higher in the M groups (33.3% (MSO) vs. 6.9% (HSO) (p<0.05) and (69.2% (MDO) vs. 22.2% (HDO) (p<0.05)). The MSO group dominant follicle diameter was bigger for cows which had one dominant follicle (p<0.05). It might be concluded that dairy cows after puerperal metritis need more time until the first ovu- lation. Also, metritic cows have a higher risk for double dominance in the first follicular wave, after the first ovulation.