Postinsemination changes in the amoeboid sperm of a nematode, nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Structure, development, and evolutive patterns of spermatozoa in rhabditid nematodes (Nematoda: Rhabditida)

Spermatogenesis of five rhabditid nematodes was studied using transmission electron microscopy and is described herein. Structure and development of nematode sperm in all available representatives of the extensive order Rhabditida have been analysed and the main characteristics of each infraorder are discussed. The ancestral sperm of the order Rhabditida was reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods based on 44 ultrastructural sperm characters. The hypothetical ancestral spermatogenesis of the order Rhabditida agrees with the previously suggested "rhabditid" pattern and appears to be conserved throughout the order Rhabditida. Despite the enormous variation of rhabditid nematodes, few groups deviate from the ancestral pattern. This conserved pattern can be informative within the phylum Nematoda at order level, but poses limitations when used in taxonomic and phylogenetic analysis within Rhabditida.

The physiological acquisition of amoeboid motility in nematode sperm: is the tail the only thing the sperm lost?

Nematode spermatozoa are highly specialized amoeboid cells that must acquire motility through the extension of a single pseudopod. Despite morphological and molecular differences with flagellated spermatozoa (including a non-actin-based cytoskeleton), nematode sperm must also respond to cues present in the female reproductive tract that render them motile, thereby allowing them to locate and fertilize the egg. The factors that trigger pseudopod extension in vivo are unknown, although current models suggest the activation through proteases acting on the sperm surface resulting in a myriad of biochemical, physiological, and morphological changes. Compelling evidence shows that pseudopod extension is under the regulation of physiological events also observed in other eukaryotic cells (including flagellated sperm) that involve membrane rearrangements in response to extracellular cues that initiate various signal transduction pathways. An integrative approach to the study of nonflagellated spermatozoa will shed light on the identification of unique and conserved processes during fertilization among different taxa.

Ultrastructural aspects of the oesophageal and reproductive systems of the equine parasite Strongylus vulgaris

The ultrastructure of the dorsal oesophageal gland ampulla and its relationship with the oesophagus, oesophageal ultrastructure, and control mechanisms in oesophageal activity were studied. Terminal ducts of the sub-ventral glands open through the oesophageal crown at the base of the buccal cavity. The terminal duct of the dorsal oesophageal gland running through the dorsal gutter opens to the exterior at the rim 'groove' of the buccal capsule. The posterior oesophageal region is clavate and the cuticle of the lumen folds to form outlet valves, 'valvulae'. An inconspicuous oesophago-intestinal valve (three lobes) connects oesophagus and intestine and is visualized in the open and shut position. In the female reproductive tract, with the exception of the uterus, the cells lie on a thick, irregular (convoluted) basal lamina. The apical plasma membrane of the uterus, and seminal receptacle, extend into the lumen by microvilli-like projections with which spermatozoa make intimate contact. The lumen of the uterus is filled with oocytes, fertilized and unfertilized. Testicular cells have two parts linked by a rachis. Spermatocytes are elongated with a large nucleus, distinct nuclear membrane, and many granules. The apical membrane of the rachis forms long microvilli-like projections with balloon-like tips. The amoeboid spermatozoa contain membrane specializations, a nucleus devoid of a membrane, and are enclosed by a pseudopodial-like extension.

Nematode sperm

Parasitic nematode infections remain a major public health problem in many parts of the world. Because most of the current strategies aimed at controlling parasitic nematode infections have met with only limited success, it may be time to consider alternative approaches. An aspect of nematode biology that has drawn little attention as a target for control is the reproductive process. Although there are numerous facets of the overall reproductive biology of nematodes that hold potential as targets for intervention, Alan Scott here focuses on the male reproductive system, and outlines some of the known unique processes and characteristics of sperm formation and sperm function that could be exploited to block fertilization.

Actin and major sperm protein in spermatids and spermatozoa of the parasitic nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus

Nematode spermatozoa are amoeboid cells. In Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum, previous studies have reported that sperm motility does not involve actin, but, instead, requires a specific cytoskeletal protein, namely major-sperm-protein (MSP). In Heligmosomoides polygyrus, a species with large and elongate spermatids and spermatozoa, cell organelles are easily identified even with light microscopy. Electrophoresis of Heligmosomoides sperm proteins indicates that the main protein band has a molecular weight of about 15 kDa, as MSP in other nematodes, and is specifically labelled by an anti-MSP antibody raised against C. elegans MSP. A minor band at 43 kDa was specifically labelled by an anti-actin antibody. Reaction of anti-actin and anti-MSP antibodies is specific to, and restricted to, their respective targets. Actin and MSP localisation, studied by indirect immunofluorescence in male germ cells of Heligmosomoides polygyrus, are similar: spermatids show rows of dots, corresponding to the fibrous bodies, around an unlabelled central longitudinal core; spermatozoa are labelled strictly in an anterior crescent-shaped cap, at the opposite pole to the nucleus, which contains fibres of the MSP cytoskeleton. Phalloidin labelling shows that F-actin is present in spermatids, but absent in spermatozoa. Tropomyosin shows a distinct pattern in spermatids, but is located in the MSP and actin-containing cap in spermatozoa. It is hypothesized that actin plays a role in the shaping of the cell and in the arrangement of its organelles during nematode spermiogenesis, when MSP is present, in an inactive state, in the fibrous bodies. The concentration of actin and tropomyosin in the anterior cap is not compatible with previous theories about the MSP cytoskeleton, which is supposed to act in the absence of actin.

Comparative fine structure of sperm of Heterodera schachtii and Punctodera chalcoensis, with phylogenetic implications for Heteroderinae (Nemata: Heteroderidae)

The fine structure of sperm of Heterodera schachtii and Punctodera chalcoensis demonstrates a high degree of interspecific morphological and developmental diversity, particularly in comparison with previously examined Heteroderinae that develop cysts, including Globodera tabacum, as well as out-groups that lack cysts, including species of Verutus, Meloidodera, and Ekphymatodera. Sperm of P. chalcoensis are much smaller and have fewer filopodia than those of species of Heterodera and Globodera. However, the distribution of filopodia on only part of the body, the smooth surface of the filopodia, and the presence of cortical microtubules are traits shared by the three genera with cysts. Unique features shared by P. chalcoensis and Globodera species include the short persistence of fibrous bodies after spermiogenesis and the lack of sperm polarization in the female genital tract. These traits are absent in Heterodera species. Conversely, chromatin remains unchanged with respect to condensation during sperm development in P. chalcoensis and species of Heterodera but not in Globodera. Patterns of evolution of sperm may be useful for testing hypotheses of the phylogeny of Heteroderinae, but the diversity is so great that character coding will be required for a large number of representative species.

In vitro induction of crawling in the amoeboid sperm of the nematode parasite, Ascaris suum

In a highly synchronous process, the immotile spermatids of Ascaris suum extend pseudopods and become rapidly crawling sperm when treated with an extract from the glandular vas deferens of the male under strict anaerobic conditions. Within 9-12 min, a pseudopod develops, elongates rapidly, and exhibits a continuous flow of membrane specializations, the villipodia, from tip toward base. When attached to acid-washed glass, the pseudopod pulls the cell body along at speeds exceeding 70 microns/min. The pseudopod length remains constant while retrograde flow of villipodia proceeds at the same rate as the sperm's forward movement. Cohorts of about 15 villipodia form at the leading edge, move rearward together, and disappear at the junction of pseudopod and cell body. These are the terminations of branched, refringent fibers, which extend the length of the pseudopod. The latter are the fiber complexes that form its cytoskeleton (Sepsenwol et al.: Journal of Cell Biology 108:55-66, 1989). Locomoting cells sometimes change direction when another crawls by and follow each other. When cells are exposed to air, forward movement ceases in a predictable pattern: the forward extension of the leading edge ceases, the pseudopod shortens from the base, and the cell body continues to be pulled forward. These data contribute to a model for Ascaris sperm amoeboid motility in which independent processes of continuous extension at the leading edge and continuous shortening at the base of the pseudopod act to propel the cell forward.

Fine (2-5-nm) filaments: new types of cytoskeletal structures

Over the past 30 years filaments 2-5 nm in diameter have been found in a number of different types of eukaryotic cells. As a group, these fine filaments lack the similarity of composition and function that characterize the three major classes of cytoskeletal elements--microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Six different proteins that form fine filaments have been identified; proposed functions for these fibers range from cell motility to cytoarchitecture. Recent studies, however, have revealed filaments with similar compositions and/or functions in otherwise different cells, suggesting that the fine filaments may eventually fit into a limited number of subgroups.