Showing papers on "Sperm published in 1969"
191 citations
TL;DR: Follicular fluid contains two factors responsible for the induction of the acrosome reaction and capacitation of spermatozoa, namely the sperm-stimulating factor and the acosome reaction-inducing factor.
Abstract: Unheated bovine follicular fluid is very toxic to hamster spermatozoa. This toxicity is due to the action of globulin or globulin-like substances in the fluid. When the fluid is pre-treated at 56°C for about 30 minutes these spermicidal substances are detoxified, and the fluid becomes capable of inducing the acrosome reaction and capacitation of the spermatozoa. Follicular fluid contains two factors responsible for the induction of the acrosome reaction and capacitation of spermatozoa, namely the sperm-stimulating factor and the acrosome reaction-inducing factor. An efficient sperm acrosome reaction and capacitation can be accomplished only in the presence of these two factors. The sperm-stimulating factor is dialyzable and heat-stable (at 90°C). The acrosome reaction-inducing factor, on the contrary, is non-dialyzable and heat-labile (at 90°C). The relationship between sperm acrosome reaction and capcitation is discussed.
164 citations
TL;DR: Tests available to assess female fertility appear to be good, sperm motility is the most important factor in semen quality, and pregnancies are possible at very low count levels providing the motility of the few cells present is good.
144 citations
TL;DR: Freeze preservation of human sperm for the purposes of delayed artificial insemination is a practical method, although the results are somewhat less favorable than those obtained with the use of fresh human sperm.
113 citations
TL;DR: Spermiogenesis in Cancer crabs was studied by light and electron microscopy and the formation of an elaborate lattice-like complex of fused membranes, principally from membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, is described.
Abstract: Spermiogenesis in Cancer crabs was studied by light and electron microscopy. The sperm are aflagellate, and when mature consist primarily of a spherical acrosome surrounded by the nucleus with its short radiating arms. The acrosome forms by a coalescence of periodic acid-Schiff-positive (PAS-positive) vesicles. During spermiogenesis one edge of the acrosomal vesicle invaginates to form a PAS-negative central core. The inner region of the acrosome bounding the core contains basic proteins which are not complexed to nucleic acid. The formation of an elaborate lattice-like complex of fused membranes, principally from membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, is described. These membranes are later taken into the nucleus and subsequently degenerate. In late spermatids, when most of the cytoplasm is sloughed, the nuclear envelope and the cell membrane apparently fuse to become the limiting boundary over most of the sperm cell. In the mature sperm the chromatin of the nucleus and arms, which is Feulgen-positive, contains no detectable protein. The chromatin filaments appear clumped, branched, and anastomosed; morphologically, they resemble the DNA of bacterial nuclei. Mitochondria are absent or degenerate in mature sperm of Cancer crabs, but the centrioles persist in the nucleoplasm at the base of the acrosome.
100 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that mouse sperm can be capacitated in vitro to fertilize mouse eggs in the presence of bovine follicular fluid.
Abstract: SINCE the recognition of “capacitation of sperm” in the female tract1,2, fertilization in vitro of eggs has been successfully conducted by insemination of sperm recovered from the uterus for the rabbit3,4, hamster5 and mouse6. Successful fertilization of golden hamster eggs in vitro by epididymal (uncapacitated) hamster sperm5, in the presence of follicular fluid of hamster7 or cow8, or in the presence of rabbit tubal cyst fluid (our unpublished work), and that of Chinese hamster eggs in the presence of follicular fluid of golden hamster9, encouraged us to carry out the following experiment which demonstrated that mouse sperm can be capacitated in vitro to fertilize mouse eggs in the presence of bovine follicular fluid.
95 citations
TL;DR: Various deviations from classical 9 + 2 flagellar structure are found in sperm of insect species, and the wide distribution of insects with aberrant flagella suggests that the variant forms have evolved independently.
Abstract: Various deviations from classical 9 + 2 flagellar structure are found in sperm of insect species. In mature spermatozoa of a psocid, Psocus, the outer flagellar tubules are not straight, but are disposed in a long-pitched helix such that they form an angle of about 8° with a single dense rod located in the position usually occupied by the central pair. In young spermatids of Psocus the outer tubules are straight; thus, spiraling of the flagellar tubules occurs during the course of spermiogenesis. Spiraling of flagella also occurs in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. Variations in the number and morphology of the central element or elements occur in other insect species besides Psocus. Among the observed deviations from a central pair of tubules are a 9 + 0 tubule pattern in the sperm of three species of mayflies, a 9 + 1 tubule pattern in the sperm of two species of mosquitoes, and 9 + 7 tubules in sperm of two species of caddis flies. Spermatozoa of treehoppers vary in yet another respect from the typical 9 + 9 + 2 insect flagellum. These sperm tails branch into four long tails, three of which each contain two doublet and two singlet tubules while the fourth branch contains three doublet and three singlet tubules. The wide distribution of insects with aberrant flagella suggests that the variant forms have evolved independently.
95 citations
TL;DR: Differences exist, the most important being a higher arginine content in several fractions, and the high proportion of the very lysine-rich fraction found in the sperm of A. lixula.
Abstract: Whole histone and five fractions were prepared from the sperm of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula. They were characterized by starch gel electrophoresis and amino acid analyses. The fractions are classified as follows: ϕ1 (very lysine-rich), ϕ2b (lysine-rich), ϕ2a2 (intermediate type), and ϕ2a1 and ϕ3 (lysine-poor). They have many similarities with calf thymus histone fractions, F1, F2b, F2a2, F2a1 and F3, in this order. Nevertheless, differences exist, the most important being a higher arginine content in several fractions, and the high proportion of the very lysine-rich fraction found in the sperm of A. lixula.
70 citations
TL;DR: Investigation of properties of semen, spermatozoa, and seminal plasma of Atlantic salmon investigated to facilitate the development of an extender for the cryo-preservation of sperm found that subsequent incubation in glucose solution did not restore ion balance in salmon spermatoozoa as it did in dog spermatozosa.
Abstract: Certain properties of semen, spermatozoa, and seminal plasma of Atlantic salmon were investigated to facilitate the development of an extender for the cryo-preservation of sperm. The seminal plasma of 10 fish had an average pH of 8.25, an osmotic pressure of 232 milliosmols, and contained 237, 86, 5.2, and 2.2 mg/100 g respectively of Na+, K+, Ca++, and Mg++. The corresponding values for spermatozoa were 84, 298, 1.5, and 18.7. Storage of semen at 2 C caused an increase of Na+ and Ca++ and a decrease of K+ and Mg++ in spermatozoa. Subsequent incubation in glucose solution did not restore ion balance in salmon spermatozoa as it did in dog spermatozoa. The results for salmon are compared with limited data for Atlantic cod.
64 citations
TL;DR: It was concluded that a sperm-coating antigen of seminal plasma origin possessed biological activity for blocking fertilization and was present in the active ultracentrifugal pellet.
Abstract: The relationship between the sperm-coating antigens of rabbit seminal plasma origin and the characterization of the decapacitation factor was studied using a gar-gel diffusion immune-electrophoresis chromatography on Sephadix G-200 and polyacrylamide vertical gel electrophoresis. Spermatozoa incubated in the uterus for 11 hours yielded an 85% fertilization rate and hence were capacitated. Treatment of the capacitated spermatozoa with rabbit seminal plasma resulted in a 38% fertilization rate. It was concluded that a sperm-coating antigen of seminal plasma origin possessed biological activity for blocking fertilization. It was found using the above techniques that the sperm-coating antigen was a glycoprotein of approximately 170000 molecular weight migrated in an electric field similar to a serum slow beta-globulin and was still present in the seminal fluid of vasectomized males. The sperm-coating antigen was absent from inactive upper supernatant fluid fraction of seminal plasma after 4 hours of ultracentrifugation at 105000 g and was present in the active ultracentrifugal pellet.
TL;DR: Since anorchid males could not have donated sperm for the fertilization of eggs in females maintained in vitro, the feat must have been achieved by the sperm present in the female at the time of in vitro isolation.
TL;DR: Mature mice were induced to ovulate by injections of PMS and HCG and their eggs were prepared, using an air-dry technique, for the examination of chromosomes during the first and second meiotic divisions, indicating that a certain length of time may be required for capacitation of mouse sperm.
Abstract: Mature mice were induced to ovulate by injections of PMS and HCG and their eggs were prepared, using an air-dry technique, for the examination of chromosomes during the first and second meiotic divisions Sixty percent of 72 eggs recovered from follicles between 10 and 85 hours before ovulation were at prophase, whereas 91%–64% of 139 eggs were at metaphase I from 7 to 3 hours before ovulation Anaphase I and telophase I were seen in 17 eggs 45–0 hours before ovulation The bivalents were clumped together in a single mass at the earliest stage of diakinesis Separate, extended bivalents which underwent contraction up to metaphase I were observed later Counts of bivalents in 82 eggs at diakinesis and metaphase I revealed no deviation from the haploid number (n = 20) The dyads in the first polar body were usually extended and somewhat diffuse in appearance, whereas those in the egg were not A total of 295 eggs were examined from 24 females inseminated 15 hours after ovulation At 3, 35, 45 and 55 hours after ovulation 3%, 20%, 26% and 43% of recovered eggs respectively were penetrated by sperm, indicating that a certain length of time may be required for capacitation of mouse sperm Approximately 90% of eggs with an intact sperm head (Type I) were at metaphase II and nearly 100% of eggs with a swollen sperm head (Types III and IV) were at telophase II Four distinct configurations of metaphase II, “spread,” “clumped,” “compact,” and “granular” were seen in 384 unfertilized eggs recovered from 36 females at various times after induced ovulation The haploid number of dyads was observed in all of 70 eggs counted at metaphase II in the “spread” configuration The proportion of unfertilized eggs with a “compact” metaphase II increased from 2% at 5–7 hours to 12% at 24–315 hours after ovulation, while the proportion of eggs with a “granular” metaphase II increased from 11% to 47% over the same period The second meiotic metaphase exhibited these degenerative changes mainly at the end of the fertilizable period of the egg
Patent•
04 Nov 1969
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an approach for CONTROLLING the SEX of a man and a woman off-spring by making use of a SPERM FRACTION CONTAINING a SURPLUS of SEX CHROMOSOMES of a single type (I.e., X-CHROMOSOM or Y-CHromosoms).
Abstract: AN IMMUNOLOGICAL METHOLD FOR CONTROLLING THE SEX OF MAMMALIAM OFFSPRING, MAKING USE OF A SPERM FRACTION CONTAINING A SURPLUS OF SEX CHROMOSOMES OF A SINGLE TYPE (I.E., X-CHROMOSOMES OR Y-CHROMOSOMES) AND OF A BLOOD SERUM CONTAINING SPERM ANTIBODIES, EACH ANTIBODY BEING SELECTIVELY REACTIVE BY SIX CHROMOSOME WITH SPERM TYPE. SPERM FRACTION IS INTRODUCED INTO THE BODY OF A MAMMAL IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO PRODUCE ANTIBODIES IN THE BLOOD STREAM. A BLOOD SERUM IS THEN TAKEN FROM THE MAMMAL, THE BLOOD COAGULATED AND THE BLOOD SERUM CONTAINING THE ANTIBODIES ISOLATED. THE BLOOD SERUM AND SPERM FRACTION ARE THEN MIXED IN PROPORTIONS TO EFFECT INACTIVATION AND AGGLUTINATION OF BETWEEN 80 AND 100% OF THE ANTIBODIES IN REACTIVE EXCESS OVER ITS SPERM TYPE IS UNAFFECTED. THE AGGLUTINATE AND ANY REMAINING SPERM IS THEN PRECIPITATED WITH THE SUPERNATANT PORTION CONTAINING SAID UNAFFECTED ANTIBODIES. THESE UNAFFECTED ANTIBODIES ARE SLECTIVELY REACTIVE TO AGGLUTINATE AND INACTIVE SPERM OF ONLY ONE SEX CHROMOSOME TYPE. IN ONE APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION, THE ANTIBODIES REACTIVE WITH EITHER WITH EITHER THE X-OR Y-CHROMOSOMES MAY BE ADDED TO SEMEN TO AGGLUTINATE AND INACTIVATE THE SPERM CONTAINING THAT TYPE OF CHROMOSOME BEFORE INSEMINATION. ALTERNATIVELY, THE ANTIBODIES MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO THE FEMALE PRIOR TO COPULATION (E.G., IN A VAGINAL JELLY OR A VACCINE) TO PROVIDE THE POSSIBILITY OF A SEX SELECTION AT CONCEPTION.
TL;DR: A solution of chemical composition based on that of seminal plasma was an effective extender for Atlantic salmon spermatozoa; semen diluted to 20 volumes could be maintained at 4 C in an inactive but potentially motile condition for several days.
Abstract: A solution of chemical composition based on that of seminal plasma was an effective extender for Atlantic salmon spermatozoa; semen diluted to 20 volumes could be maintained at 4 C in an inactive but potentially motile condition for several days. Propylene glycol at concentrations between 7.0 and 12.5% protected sperm cells against freeze–thaw damage. The addition of glycine or albumin to the basic extender containing 7–12.5% propylene glycol or 10% dimethyl sulphoxide provided an extender meriting further development for the cryopreservation of salmonid spermatozoa. Fertilities of 5–19% were achieved with 10 frozen sperm samples diluted with such extenders. For frozen samples a method of fertilization with simultaneous addition of water and sperm to the eggs is proposed.
TL;DR: Generally the gross and fine morphology of the human sperm is more varying and less regular than it is known from other mammalian sperms.
Abstract: The ultrastructure of the ejaculated human sperm follows the general pattern known from other mammalian sperms. However, certain features are peculiar to the human sperm. The chromatin is often granular giving it an unmature appearance, the mitochondrial helix is often unorderly arranged, the longitudinal columns of the fibrous sheath and the annular ring are not very conspicuous. The nucleus is covered by the acrosome with its anterior, reactive and posterior, unchangeable equatorial segment and most posteriorly by the postnuclear cap. Generally the gross and fine morphology of the human sperm is more varying and less regular than it is known from other mammalian sperms.
TL;DR: The research reported herein was conducted to determine the effect of age, sex difference and semen characteristics on seasonal decline in fertility of the turkey.
TL;DR: The structure of sperm cells in mature trinucleate pollen grains ofBeta vulgaris L. was studied with the electron microscope and microtubules present in the sperm cell cytoplasm may be responsible for sperm cell motility.
Abstract: The structure of sperm cells in mature trinucleate pollen grains ofBeta vulgaris L. was studied with the electron microscope. The ellipsoidal sperm cell nuclei and cytoplasm are products of mitosis and cytokinesis of the ellipsoidal generative cell. Each sperm cell is separated from the vegetative cytoplasm by two contiguous membranes which enclose its cytoplasm and nucleus. Microtubules present in the sperm cell cytoplasm may be responsible for sperm cell motility.
TL;DR: It is concluded that antibodies against human spermatozoa and seminal fluid cause reduction of the cervical mucus-penetrating ability of spermutozoa with the degree dependent on antibody concentration and intrinsic properties of the spermatozosa.
Abstract: The effect on cervical mucus penetration by treatment of spermatozoa in normal ejaculates from 1 donor with different volumes of rabbit antiserum against seminal plasma seminal spermatozoa spermatocele spermatozoa and with serum from men with different levels of sperm antibodies was studied. Samples from 6 other men were also treated with antiseminal plasma serum and with serum containing sperm antibodies. The untreated spermatozoa and that treated with control sera showed normal penetration and unimpaired motility. Antisera against seminal plasma seminal spermatozoa and spermatocele spermatozoa had immobilizing and agglutinating activity and caused a reduction of penetration. Samples from the 6 different donors treated with rabbit antiserum or patient serum were affected but the penetration of those with high percentages of motile spermatozoa and rapid sperm motility was less reduced. It is concluded that antibodies against human spermatozoa and seminal fluid cause reduction of the cervical mucus-penetrating ability of spermatozoa with the degree dependent on antibody concentration and intrinsic properties of the spermatozoa.
TL;DR: The latter made an insignificant contribution to dominant lethality in Drosophila following heliotrine treatment, and it is suggested that most dominant lethals arise as a result of intrachromosomal rearrangements with lethal effect, or to isochromatid aberrations.
Abstract: The occurrence of chromosomal damage produced by the pyrrolizidine alkaloid heliotrine in Drosophila has been demonstrated using the frequencies of induced dominant lethals, partial and complete sex-chromosome loss, translocations and sex-ratio shifts as measures of the resulting damage. It has been shown that the frequency of XO males induced by the alkaloid is insufficient to account for the observed deviation in the sex-ratio even on the unlikely assumption that all XO males result from X-chromosome loss. Therefore it is proposed that the remaining deviation is due to the differential production of dominant lethals in the X- and Y-bearing sperm. Assuming that all XO males result from X-chromosome loss, and dominant lethals are produced in a ratio of 1:0.85 for the X- and Y-bearing sperms respectively, then a close fit with the experimentally observed sex-ratios is obtained. Translocations are produced with a low frequency. Evidence is discussed which indicates that there is a close relationship between the frequencies of induced translocations and asymmetrical exchanges. On this basis it is concluded that the latter made an insignificant contribution to dominant lethality in Drosophila following heliotrine treatment. It is suggested that most dominant lethals arise as a result of intrachromosomal rearrangements with lethal effect, or to isochromatid aberrations. It is further proposed that the different sensitivities of the X-ray and Y-bearing sperms must be due to the different frequencies of lethals occurring in the X- and Y-chromosomes.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The data indicate that the effectiveness of a pollinator in inducing haploids in potato is determined by the frequency of restitution sperm nuclei it produces, which is normally induced by an untreated superior pollinator.
Abstract: A hexaploid endosperm is regularly associated with a haploid embryo following 4x–2x crosses in potato One explanation for this is that a single 24-chromosome restitution sperm nucleus fuses with the central cell of the megagametophyte This suggests that a superior pollinator may be one that produces a high frequency of restitution sperm nuclei To test this, a technique was developed for observing pollen tube mitosis in vitro following germination of potato pollen in a 20% lactose-50 ppm boric acid solution A single 24-chromosome restitution sperm nucleus was found in up to 38% of the pollen tubes from a superior pollinator Moreover, pollen from an inferior pollinator soaked in a sucrose-boric acid-colchicine solution produced 100% restitution sperm nuclei in vitro and a haploid frequency from a tetraploid cultivar comparable to that normally induced by an untreated superior pollinator The data indicate that the effectiveness of a pollinator in inducing haploids in potato is determined by the frequency of restitution sperm nuclei it produces
TL;DR: Two glycoprotein sperm-specific antigens of testicular origin and twelve seminal plasmaAntigens which coated the spermatozoa during passage through the reproductive tract were proposed.
Abstract: two glycoprotein sperm-specific antigens of testicular origin and twelve seminal plasma antigens which coated the spermatozoa during passage through the reproductive tract. Two of the sperm-coating antigens originated in the testis, two in the epididymis and eight above the level of the vas deferens. Relationships between sperm-coating antigens and capacitation, and sperm-coating antigens and prevention of immunologically induced aspermatogenesis or immunologically induced infertility in the female were proposed.
TL;DR: In laboratory experiments, sperm activity seemed to be associated with dehydration, and the presence of K+, Na+, Zn+, and Cl− ions, and secretion of the so-called prostate gland of the male activated sperm in S. granarius is discussed.
Abstract: In Sitophilus granarius (L.) and S. zea-mais (Mots.), sperm are stored, apparently in active motion, in the spermatheca of the female for several weeks, and apparently escape in small numbers continuously along the duct of the spermatheca, whose gland may supply them with energy. In laboratory experiments, sperm activity seemed to be associated with dehydration, and the presence of K+, Na+, Zn+, and Cl− ions. Secretion of the so-called prostate gland of the male activated sperm in S. granarius. Sperm itinerary from testis to egg is discussed.
TL;DR: Results are reported on the fertilization of steelhead trout eggs with cryo-preserved sperm, and the fertilized eggs and alevins produced appeared normal when compared with those from fresh spermatozoa.
Abstract: Results are reported on the fertilization (to 18%) of steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) eggs with cryo-preserved sperm. Fresh semen was progressively diluted to 1: 4 with an extender containing 5 or 12.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, sealed in 1.0-ml ampoules, frozen in the vapor of liquid nitrogen, and subsequently thawed in a 4 C water bath. The fertilized eggs and alevins produced appeared normal when compared with those from fresh spermatozoa.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that male tobacco budworms that were irradiated by 45 krad significantly fail to transfer sperm in about 50% of their matings, while females with no sperm in their spermathecae produced the same number of eggs as virgin females.
Abstract: Untreated male tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens (F.), fail to transfer sperm in about 15–20% of their matings. Tobacco budworms sterilized by 45 krad significantly fail to transfer sperm in about 50% of their matings. Females that received a spermatophore but had no sperm in their spermathecae produced the same numbers of eggs as virgin females. Females with sperm in their spermathecae laid the same numbers of eggs, whether the sperm came from irradiated or untreated males.Irradiated males did not transfer sperm to the spermathecae of the female because sperm were not incorporated into the spermatophore. The failure to incorporate sperm into the spermatophore occurred because the sperm in the male reproductive system did not move from the duplex to the simplex area where the spermatophore is formed. Males irradiated after mating were able to transfer sperm in a second mating as well as untreated males.
TL;DR: It is suggested that two systems reside in the vitelline membrane and that species specificity of the sperm-binding system plays a primary role in preventing cross fertilization.
TL;DR: The antibody character of sperm agglutinating and immobilizing factors in sera from sterile men was investigated by absorption with seminal spermatozoa and with A and B blood group substances by filtration on Sephadex G-200 reduction with merceptoethanol and incubation at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes.
Abstract: The antibody character of sperm agglutinating and immobilizing factors in sera from sterile men was investigated by absorption with seminal spermatozoa and with A and B blood group substances by filtration on Sephadex G-200 reduction with merceptoethanol and incubation at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes. In addition the level of immunoglobulins in sera with sperm antibodies was investigated. Absorption with seminal spermatozoa completely exhausted the sperm agglutinating activity but removed only partially the immobilizing activity. Absorption with blood group substances did not influence the antibody activity of the sera. The sperm agglutinating antibodies and probably also the immobilizing antibodies were mainly of the 7S type. Incubation at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes did not decrease the sperm agglutinating or immobilizing activity. Presence of complement enhanced the immunoimmobilization of spermatozoa but did not influence the activity of the agglutinins. The levels of IgG and IgM were significantly higher in sera from men with sperm antibodies than in control sera. (p<.01).(Authors modified)
TL;DR: An electron microscopic study of the ultrastructure and development of sperm packets of the M5 strain of Volvox aureus shows that the sperm packet develops very much like a vegetative colony.