Visualization of balbiani body disassembly during primordial follicle activation

Female mammals are born with a finite number of (primordial) oocytes that must persist for years prior to activation with the menstrual cycle. These stored oocytes contain a condensed, peri-nuclear collection of mitochondria, nucleic acids, and proteins called the Balbiani Body (Bb), which disappears in mature oocytes1. Studies from numerous species (frogs, zebrafish, mouse), have described the composition, architecture, and disassembly of the Bb. Furthermore, studies in frogs demonstrate the importance of the architecture of the Bb and its role in protecting the oocyte from toxic molecules, such as reactive oxidative species over a long period of dormancy2. Even though the Bb is a highly conserved structure, it remains poorly characterized in humans.