Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T01:12:26.674Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sperm-egg interaction in an Australian dasyurid marsupial with special refernce to changes in acrosomal morphology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

W.G Breed
W.G Breed*
Affiliation:
Departmant of Anatomy and Histology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia.
*
Dr W.G. Breed, Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia. Tel: 61-8-303-5743. Fax: 61-8-223-2076.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The morphology of the acrosome of spermatozoa an Australian daysyurid marsupial during in vivo fertilisation, as seen with the tranamission electron microscope, is described. In some spermatozoa close to the outer zona surface with largely intact acrosomes, eletron-demse struts between the inner and outer acrosomal membranes could be seen; in addition fusion between the outer acrosomal and overlying plasma membranes was sometimes evident. The zona matrix close to the acrosomal region of spermatozoa with heads party embedded within the zona pellucida was less electron-dense and more filamentous than elsewhere; perhaps indicative of local lytic activety. Nevertheless some of these spermatozoa at least had partly intact acrosomes with local regions of electron-dense bridges between the two acrosomal membranes. Spermatozoa with condensed chomatin were also observed within the egg cytoplsam some of which had membranes, vacuoles or close to the dorsal nuclear surface which could, in part, be acrosomal in orgin. These observations lend some support to the recent view, based on findings from an American species, that acrosomal changes of spermatozoa of some marsupials at the of fertillsation may be somewhat similar to those of eutherian mamals in spite of the considerable differences in gamete structure and design. How generally applicable these findings are to all marsupials remains, however, to be determined.

Keywords

Acrosome reactionFertilisationMarsupial
Type
Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , August 1994 , pp. 201 - 211
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Refernces

Bedford, J.M. (1970). Sperm capacitation and fertilization in mammals. Biol. Reprod., Suppl. 2 128–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bedford, J.M. (1982). Fetilization. In: Reproduction in Mammals, vol 1, 2nd edn, ed. Austin, C.R. & short, R.V., pp 128–63 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bedford, J.M. (1983). Form and function of eutherian spermatozoa in relation to the nature of egg vestments. In: Fertilization of the Human Egg In Vitro, ed. Beier, H.M. & Lindner, H.R., pp.133–46. Berlin: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, J.M. (1991). The coevolution of mammailan gametes. In: A Comparative Overview of Mammalian Fertilization, ed. Dunbar, B.S. & O&Rand, M.G., pp. 3–39. New YorkPlenum press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, J.M. & Calvin, H.I. (1974). The occurence and possible functional siginficance of -S-S-cross links in sperm heads, with particular refernce to euthrian mammals. J. Exp. Zool. 187, 137–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, J.M., Moore, H.D.M. & Franklin, L.E. (1979). Significance of the equatorial segment of the acrosome of the spermatozoon in eutherian mammals. Exp. Cell Res. 119, 119–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Breed, W.G. & Leigh, C.M. (1988). Morphological observations on sperm-egg interactions during in vivo fertilization in the dasyurid marsupial, Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Gamete Res. 19, 131–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Breed, W.G. & Leigh, C.M. (1990). Morphological changes in the oocyte and its surrouding vestments during in vivo fertilization in the dasyurid marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. J. Morphol. 204, 177–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breed, W.G. & Leigh, C.M. (1992). Marsupial fertilization: some further ultrastructural observations on the dasyurid Sminthopsis cressicaudata. Mol. Reprod. Deu. 32, 277–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breed, W.G. & Leigh, C.M. & Bennett, J.H. (1989). Sperm morphology and storage in the female reproductive tract of the fat-tailed dunnart, Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). Gamete Res. 23, 61–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Breed, W.G. & Leigh, C.M.Washinigton, J.M. & Soon, L.L.L. (1994). Unusual nuclear structure of the spermatozoon in a marasupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 37, 78–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colwin, L.H. & Colwin, A.L. (1967). Membrane fusion in realtion to sperm-egg association. In: Fertilization, vol. 1, ed. Metz, C.B. & monroy, A., pp. 295–368. New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cummins, J.M. (1980). Decondensation of sperm nuclei of Australian marsupials: effects of air drying and of calcium and magnesium. Gamete Res. 3, 351–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dan, J.C. (1967). Acrosome reaction and zona lysis. In: Fertilization, vol. 1, ed. Metz, C.B., Monroy, A., pp. 163–236. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Harding, H.R. (1987). Inerrelationships of the families of the Diprotodonta: a review based on spermatozoan ultrastructure. In Possums and Opossums: Studies in Evolution ed. Archer, M., pp. 195–215. Sydney: Surrey Beatty and Royal Zoological Society, New South Wales.Google Scholar
Longo, F.J. (1985). Pronuclear events during fertilization. In: Biology Fertilization, vol 3, ed. Metz, C.B. & Monroy, A., pp.251–98. New YorkAcademic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, H.D.M. & Bedford, J.M. (1978). Ultrastructure of the equatorial segment of hamster spermatozoa during penetration of oocutes. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 62, 110–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, H.D.M. & Bedford, J.M. (1983). The interactions of mammalian ganetes in the female. In: Mechanisms and Control of Animal Fertilization, ed. Hartman, J.F., pp. 453–97. New york: Academic press.Google Scholar
Okamura, F. & Nishiyama, H. (1978). Penetration of the spermatozoon into the ovem and trasformation of the sperm nucleus into the male pronucleus in the domestic fowl, Gallus gallus. Cell Tissue Res. 190, 89–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pircheral, B. & Charbonneau, M. (1982). Anuran fertilization: a morphological reinvestigation of some early events. J. Ultrastuct. Res. 81, 306–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodger, J.C. & Bedford, J.M. (1982). Separation of sperm pairs and sperm-egg interaction in the opossum, Didelphis virginiana. J. Reprod. Fertil. 64, 171–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rodger, J.C.Breed, W.G. & Bennett, J.H. (1992). Gonadotrophin-induced oestrus and ovulation in the polyovulatory marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Reprod Fertil. Dev. 4, 145–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, L., Peterson, R.N. & Freund, M. (1980). On the presernce of brodges linking the inner and outer acrosomal membranes of boar spermatozoa. Anat. Rec. 198, 449–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schatten, G. & Mazia, D. (1976). The penetration of the spermatozoon through the sea urchin egg surface at fertilization. Exp. Cell Res. 93, 325–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Selwood, L. (1992). Mechanisms underlying the development of pattern in marsupial embryos. Curr. Top. Dev. Biol. 27, 175–332.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Summers, R.G., Hylander, B.L., Colwin, L.H. & Colwin, A.L. (1975). The functional anatomy of the echinoderm spermatozoon and its interaction with the egg at fertilization. Am. Zool. 15, 525–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taggart, D.A., O'Brien, H.P.& Moore, H.D.M. (1993). Ultrastructural characteristics of in vivo and in vitro fertilization in the grey short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Anat. Rec. 237, 21–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Temple-Smith, P.D. (1987). Sperm maturation and the formation of sperm-pairs in the epididymis of the opossum. Didelphis virginiana. J. Exp. Zool. 214, 161–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilney, L.G. (1985). The acrosome reaction. In: Biology of Fertilization, vol 2. edC.B., Metz & A., Monroy, pp 157–213. New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yanagimachi, R. (1981). Mechanisms of fertilization in mammals. In: Fertilization and Early Embryonic Development, L., Mastroianni Jr & J.D., Biggers, pp.81–180. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Yanagimachi, R. (1988). Mammaliam fertilization. In: The physiology of Reproduction, 1, E., Knobil & J.D., Neill, 135–86. New York: Raven Press.Google Scholar