Segregation of mitochondria in the cytoplasm of Xenopus vitellogenic oocytes

Abstract
In actively growing vitellogenic oocytes of Xenopus laevis mitochondria segregate into 2 populations. One stays around the nucleus, actively replicates mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and builds up most of the stock of the mitochondria in the full‐grown oocyte. The other moves toward the vegetal pole and stops replicating mtDNA early in vitellogenesis. Organelles of this population are components of the germ plasm of the cell.