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Soley JT, du Plessis L, Sutovsky M, Sutovsky P. Steps of spermiogenesis in the ostrich (Struthio camelus). Cell Tissue Res 2023; 394:209-227. [PMID: 37430159 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-023-03807-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Few studies describe the sequence of morphological events that characterize spermiogenesis in birds. In this paper, the clearly observable steps of spermiogenesis are described and illustrated for the first time in a commercially important ratite, the ostrich, based on light microscopy of toluidine blue-stained plastic sections. Findings were supplemented and supported by ultrastructural observations, PNA labeling of acrosome development, and immunocytochemical labeling of isolated spermatogenic cells. Spermiogenesis in the ostrich followed the general pattern described in non-passerine birds. Eight steps were identified based on changes in nuclear shape and contents, positioning of the centriolar complex, and acrosome development. Only two steps could be recognized with certainty during development of the round spermatid which contributed to the fewer steps recorded for the ostrich compared to that described in some other bird species. The only lectin that displayed acrosome reactivity was PNA and only for the first three steps of spermiogenesis. This suggests that organizational and/or compositional changes may occur in the acrosome during development and merits further investigation. Immunological labeling provided additional evidence to support the finding of previous studies that the tip of the nucleus in the ostrich is shaped by the forming acrosome and not by the microtubular manchette. To our knowledge, this is the first complete description of spermiogenesis in ostrich and one of few in any avian species. In addition to comparative reproduction and animal science, this work has implications for evolutionary biology as the reported germ cell features provide a bridge between reptile and ratite-avian spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Soley
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - L du Plessis
- Electron Microscope Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - M Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - P Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
- Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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Fausto AM, Taddei AR, Batocco F, Belardinelli MC, Carcupino M, Schiavone A, Saia S, Castillo A, Marzoni M. Raptors bred in captivity: semen characteristics and assisted reproduction outcome in goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis). PeerJ 2023; 11:e15094. [PMID: 36974138 PMCID: PMC10039655 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Three sexually mature goshawks reared in captivity and imprinted on humans to express reproductive behavior according to the cooperative method were studied for three consecutive breeding seasons to assess the quality of their sperm. The following parameters were analyzed: ejaculate volume and sperm concentration, motility, viability, and morphology. Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and motility fluctuated along the reproductive season, revealing the greatest quality of the reproductive material at full springtime (i.e., April). Motility of the sperm collected in March strongly reduced with age, contrary to samples collected in April or May. Sperm viability was not influenced by either age or month of collection within each season. Ultrastructural investigations provided information on normal sperm morphology for the first time in this species. The morphological categories of sperm defects in fresh semen, present at low percentages, are also described. Functional analyses (perivitelline membrane assay and artificial inseminations) confirmed the good quality of the semen obtained using the cooperative method. The reported data provide the basis for further studies aimed at developing protocols to improve the outcome of artificial insemination and semen cryopreservation in the goshawk as well as other bird of prey species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Fausto
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Taddei
- Center of Large Equipments, Section of Electron Microscopy, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Federica Batocco
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Marcella Carcupino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Achille Schiavone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Sergio Saia
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Kimsakulvech S, Suttiyotin P. Ultrastructural characteristics of black marsh turtle spermatozoa obtained by electroejaculation. Anat Histol Embryol 2020; 49:842-847. [PMID: 32686185 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The black marsh turtle (Geoemydidae: Siebenrockiella crassicollis) is a freshwater turtle that occurs in equatorial tropical climates in South East Asia. The semen of S. crassicollis was investigated by electroejaculation. The spermatozoa of S. crassicollis are filiform in shape with curved heads. The entire length, midpiece to tail length, tail width and tail length of the spermatozoa were 71.33 ± 1.55 μm, 49.92 ± 1.13 μm, 0.43 ± 0.02 μm and 48.53 ± 0.25 μm, respectively. The head length, head width across the middle and head width across the base were 14.00 ± 0.38 μm, 0.79 ± 0.03 μm and 0.91 ±0.0.03 μm, respectively. The acrosomal region of the S. crassicollis spermatozoa was narrower than the head, with an acrosomal length and width at the annulus of 2.90 ± 0.13 μm and 0.43 ± 0.01 μm, respectively. The midpiece of the S. crassicollis spermatozoa was narrower than the head and contained 30-40 mitochondrial balls, each with a ball diameter of 0.16 ± 0.002 μm. The midpiece length, midpiece width and tail length were 4.92 ± 0.16, 0.78 ± 0.03 and 48.53 ± 0.25 μm, respectively. This study presents the characteristic appearance of a freshwater turtle spermatozoa in Southeast Asia, as observed under an electron microscope. The spermatozoa of Siebenrockiella crassicollis are morphologically different from those of other freshwater turtles from other regions described in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakdichod Kimsakulvech
- Department of Preclinic and Applied Animal Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Peerasak Suttiyotin
- Department of Preclinic and Applied Animal Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
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Soley JT, du Plessis L. Ultra-imaging in applied animal andrology: The power and the beauty. Anim Reprod Sci 2020; 220:106306. [PMID: 32085922 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Ultrastructural studies of the male gamete provide relevant complementary data of value for the clinical assessment of semen quality and assist in determining phylogenetic and structural/functional relationships. This is illustrated using semen samples and testicular material from vulnerable wild animals (cheetah and rhinoceros), commercially exploited exotic birds (ratites and tinamou) and poultry (chicken and duck). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to record sperm and spermatid ultrastructural detail on a comparative basis. The power of the technique was demonstrated using normal and abnormal (the knobbed acrosome defect) formation of the acrosome in the cheetah and rhinoceros. The structural similarities of the defect across species was apparent. The determination of phylogenetic associations was illustrated by comparing structural characteristics between ratites (ostrich, emu and rhea), the tinamou and poultry (chicken and duck), highlighting the morphological peculiarities evident in the midpiece and proximal principal piece of the sperm tail. A clear distinction was obvious between the ratites and tinamou on the one hand and the Galliform and Anseriform birds on the other. The potential power of using molecular techniques in conjunction with ultrastructural studies to explain structural/functional relationships was demonstrated by describing a transient elaboration of the perinuclear theca that occurs during a specific stage of spermiogenesis in ratites, and which can only be imaged using TEM. The inherent aesthetic appeal of the structurally complex normal and defective male gamete was also emphasised.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Soley
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.
| | - Lizette du Plessis
- Electron Microscope Unit, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
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Mafunda PS, Maree L, Kotze A, van der Horst G. Sperm structure and sperm motility of the African and Rockhopper penguins with special reference to multiple axonemes of the flagellum. Theriogenology 2017; 99:1-9. [PMID: 28708488 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the semen of two penguin species from separate genera with reference to unique features in sperm structure using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Ejaculates from African penguin (n = 51) and Rockhopper penguin (n = 9) contained on average more than 60% motile spermatozoa and a sperm concentration of 3274 × 106/ml and 1423 × 106/ml, respectively. The percentage progressive motility was similar for the two species as well as all the kinematics parameters. The sperm morphology of these two penguin species is almost identical and largely resembles that of non-passerine birds in terms of the filiform head, small acrosome and mid-piece containing 13 spherical mitochondria, arranged around the proximal and distal centrioles in a single helix. Apart from a shorter mid-piece, penguin sperm morphometrics were similar to other non-passerine birds. The ultrastructure of the sperm principal piece revealed the typical 9 + 2 microtubular arrangement without any outer dense fibres. An unusual feature in both African and Rockhopper penguin spermatozoa was the occurrence of multiple axonemes contained in one plasmalemma in 4% of spermatozoa. These double, triple and quadruple axonemal arrangements have not been described previously albeit multiple tails were reported in other bird species. It is unclear whether such a unique structural feature will be of any advantage for sperm motility and might rather be a result of the absence of sperm competition. Multiple axonemes found in penguin flagella could be an apomorphism that distinguish them from other bird spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Siyambulela Mafunda
- Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; Department of Research and Scientific Services, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Liana Maree
- Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; Department of Research and Scientific Services, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Antoinette Kotze
- Department of Research and Scientific Services, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa; Genetics Department, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Gerhard van der Horst
- Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; Department of Research and Scientific Services, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Azeez OI, Myburgh JG, Meintjes RA, Oosthuizen MC, Chamunorwa JP. Histomorphology, ultrastructure and fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue in pansteatitis, the potentials in understanding the underlying mechanism and diagnosis of pansteatitis in the Nile crocodile. Lipids Health Dis 2017; 16:47. [PMID: 28231818 PMCID: PMC5324266 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-016-0405-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In an effort to characterize the fat body and other adipose tissue in the Nile crocodile and the effects of pansteatitis on the structure and composition of the adipose tissue, we evaluated the regional variation in structure and fatty acid composition of healthy farmed crocodiles and those affected by pansteatitis. METHODS Adipose tissue samples were collected from the subcutaneous, visceral and intramuscular fat and the abdominal fat body of ten 4-year old juvenile crocodiles from Izinthaba Crocodile Farm, Pretoria, South Africa while pansteatitis samples were collected from visceral and intramuscular fat of crocodiles that had died of pansteatitis at the Olifant River, Mpumalanga, also in South Africa. Histomorphology, ultrastrustucture and fatty acid composition by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis were conducted. RESULTS Histological examination showed regional variations in the adipose tissue especially in the collagen content of the ECM, tissue perfusion and division into lobes and lobules by fibrous capsule. Considerable fibrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration especially by macrophages and lymphocytes and toxic changes in the nucleus were observed in the pansteatitis samples. Regional variation in lipid composition especially in Myristoleic (C14:1), Erucic acid (C22:1n9), and Docosadienoic acid (C22:2n6) was observed. Most of the saturated and trans fatty acids were found in significant quantities in the pansteatitis samples, but had very low levels of the cis fatty acid and the essential fatty acids with C18 backbone. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that there exists some regional variation in histomorphology and fatty acid composition in the healthy adipose tissue of the Nile crocodile. It also showed that pansteatitis in the Nile crocodile might have been triggered by sudden change in energy balance from consumption of dead fish; and probable exposure to toxic environmental conditions with the evidence of up scaled monounsaturated long chain fatty acids composition and toxic changes in the leucocytes observed in pansteatitis in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- O I Azeez
- Anatomy and Physiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, Pretoria, South Africa. .,Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - J G Myburgh
- Paraclinical Science Department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - R A Meintjes
- Anatomy and Physiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - M C Oosthuizen
- Veterinary Tropical Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - J P Chamunorwa
- Anatomy and Physiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
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Asano A, Tajima A. Development and Preservation of Avian Sperm. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1001:59-73. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-3975-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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du Plessis L, Soley JT. Sperm head shaping in ratites: New insights, yet more questions. Tissue Cell 2016; 48:605-615. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Soley JT. A comparative overview of the sperm centriolar complex in mammals and birds: Variations on a theme. Anim Reprod Sci 2016; 169:14-23. [PMID: 26907939 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of the structure, function and anomalies of the sperm centriolar complex (CC) on a comparative basis between mammals and birds. The information is based on selected references from the literature supplemented by original observations on spermiogenesis and sperm structure in disparate mammalian (cheetah and cane rat) and avian (ostrich, rhea and emu) species. Whereas the basic structure of the CC (a diplosome surrounded by pericentriolar material) is similar in Aves and Mammalia, certain differences are apparent. Centriole reduction does not generally occur in birds, but when present as in oscines, involves the loss of the proximal centriole. In ratites, the distal centriole forms the core of the entire midpiece and incorporates the outer dense fibres in addition to initiating axoneme formation. The elements of the connecting piece are not segmented in birds and less complex in basic design than in mammals. The functions of the various components of the CC appear to be similar in birds and mammals. Despite obvious differences in sperm head shape, the centrosomal anomalies afflicting both vertebrate groups demonstrate structural uniformity across species and display a similar range of defects. Most abnormalities result from defective migration and alignment of the CC relative to the nucleus. The most severe manifestation is that of acephalic sperm, while angled tail attachment, abaxial and multiflagellate sperm reflect additional defective forms. The stump-tail defect is not observed in birds. A comparison of defective sperm formation and centrosomal dysfunction at the molecular level is currently difficult owing to the paucity of relevant information on avian sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Soley
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.
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