The Three-dimensional Structure of the Basal Body from the Rhesus Monkey Oviduct

The structure of the oviduct basal body has been reconstructed from serial, oblique, and tangential sections This composite information has been used to construct a three-dimensional scale model of the organelle The walls are composed of nine equally spaced sets of three tubules, which run from base to apex pitched to the left at a 10 degrees -15 degrees angle to the longitudinal axis. The transverse axis of each triplet set at its basal end intersects a tangent to the lumenal circumference of the basal body at a 40 degrees angle (triplet angle). As the triplet set transverses from base to apex, it twists toward the lumen on the longitudinal axis of the inner A tubule; therefore, the triplet angle is 10 degrees at the basal body-cilium junction. Strands of fibrous material extend from the basal end of each triplet to form a striated rootlet. A pyramidal basal foot projects at right angles from the midregion of the basal body. In the apex, a 175 mmicro long trapezoidal sheet is attached to each triplet set. The smaller of the two parallel sides is attached to all three tubules while the longitudinal edge (one of the equidistant anti-parallel sides) is attached to the C tubule. The sheet faces counterclockwise (apex to base view) and gradually unfolds from base to apex; the outside corner merges with the cell membrane.