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Matsuzaki M, Mizushima S, Tsudzuki M, Maeda T, Sasanami T. Sperm replacement in sperm-storage tubules causes last-male sperm precedence in chickens. Br Poult Sci 2024; 65:97-104. [PMID: 38018517 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2023.2287732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
1. This study elucidated the last-male sperm precedence (LMSP) mechanism in chickens by examining replacement in storage tubules (SSTs) after multiple artificial inseminations (AI) and the effects of seminal plasma (SP) and male breed on sperm replacement in SSTs.2. Hens were artificially inseminated with fluorescent dye-labelled spermatozoa from White Leghorn (WL) chickens. Secondary AI was conducted 3 d later with sperm labelled with different nuclear fluorescent dye. Percentage of first and second inseminated sperm in SSTs and their logarithmic odds were calculated. The effect of SP on LMSP was examined using (1) Lake's solution-washed sperm before second insemination, and (2) SP injected continuously after first insemination. Effect of breed difference on sperm replacement was investigated using Barred Plymouth Rock (BP) sperm.3. Successive WL-sperm inseminations at three-day intervals caused > 70% stored sperm replacement in SSTs. Although SP removal from sperm from second insemination significantly decreased replacement, its intra-vaginal injection did not affect release. Secondary insemination using BP sperm significantly increased replacement.4. Sperm replacement is a major factor favouring LMSP in domestic chickens. Two fluorescent staining of sperm, and intra-vaginal multiple AI technique have enabled visualisation, differentiation, and quantification of multiple inseminated sperm stored in the SSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Matsuzaki
- Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Japan
| | - S Mizushima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - M Tsudzuki
- Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Japan
- Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - T Maeda
- Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Japan
- Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - T Sasanami
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
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Matsuzaki M, Hirohashi N, Tsudzuki M, Haqani MI, Maeda T, Mizushima S, Sasanami T. Longer and faster sperm exhibit better fertilization success in Japanese quail. Poult Sci 2021; 100:100980. [PMID: 33610899 PMCID: PMC7905478 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, sperm storage tubules (SST) located in the utero-vaginal junction are thought to be a site of sperm selection; however, the exact mechanism of sperm selection is poorly understood. Here, we investigated sperm entry into the SST and subsequent fertilization success under a competitive situation created by artificial insemination of a sperm mixture obtained from 2 males. We employed 2 quail strains, a wild-type and a dominant black (DB) type, as this allows easy assessment of paternity by feather coloration. We found paternity of embryos was biased toward DB males when a sperm mix with similar sperm numbers from the 2 males strains was artificially inseminated into females. Our novel sperm staining method with 2 different fluorescent dyes showed that the DB-biased fertilization was because of the better ability of DB sperm to enter the SST. Moreover, we found that DB sperm had a longer flagellum and midpiece. These characteristics probably allow sperm to swim faster in a high viscosity medium, which may be a similar environment to the lumen of the female reproductive tract. Our results indicated that sperm competition occurs to win a place in the SST and that filling the SST with their own spermatozoa is a critical step to achieve better fertilization success for the male Japanese quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Matsuzaki
- Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Noritaka Hirohashi
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Oki, Shimane 685-0024, Japan
| | - Masaoki Tsudzuki
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan; Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Mohammad Ibrahim Haqani
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Teruo Maeda
- Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan; Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Shusei Mizushima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Sasanami
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan.
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Kasimatis KR, Moerdyk-Schauwecker MJ, Phillips PC. Auxin-Mediated Sterility Induction System for Longevity and Mating Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:2655-2662. [PMID: 29880556 PMCID: PMC6071612 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The ability to control both the means and timing of sexual reproduction provides a powerful tool to understand not only fertilization but also life history trade-offs resulting from sexual reproduction. However, precisely controlling fertilization has proved a major challenge across model systems. An ideal sterility induction system should be external, non-toxic, and reversible. Using the auxin-inducible degradation system targeting the spe-44 gene within the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we designed a means of externally inducing spermatogenesis arrest. We show that exposure to auxin during larval development induces both hermaphrodite self-sterility and male sterility. Moreover, male sterility can be reversed upon cessation of auxin exposure. The sterility induction system developed here has multiple applications in the fields of spermatogenesis and mating systems evolution. Importantly, this system is also a highly applicable tool for aging studies. In particular, we show that auxin-induced self-sterility is comparable to the commonly used chemically-induced FUdR sterility, while offering multiple benefits, including being less labor intensive, being non-toxic, and avoiding compound interactions with other experimental treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja R Kasimatis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 5289 University of Oregon, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | | | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 5289 University of Oregon, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
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Ben-David G, Miller E, Steinhauer J. Drosophila spermatid individualization is sensitive to temperature and fatty acid metabolism. SPERMATOGENESIS 2015; 5:e1006089. [PMID: 26413411 PMCID: PMC4581069 DOI: 10.1080/21565562.2015.1006089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acids are precursors of potent lipid signaling molecules. They are stored in membrane phospholipids and released by phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Lysophospholipid acyltransferases (ATs) oppose PLA2 by re-esterifying fatty acids into phospholipids, in a biochemical pathway known as the Lands Cycle. Drosophila Lands Cycle ATs oys and nes, as well as 7 predicted PLA2 genes, are expressed in the male reproductive tract. Oys and Nes are required for spermatid individualization. Individualization, which occurs after terminal differentiation, invests each spermatid in its own plasma membrane and removes the bulk of the cytoplasmic contents. We developed a quantitative assay to measure individualization defects. We demonstrate that individualization is sensitive to temperature and age but not to diet. Mutation of the cyclooxygenase Pxt, which metabolizes fatty acids to prostaglandins, also leads to individualization defects. In contrast, modulating phospholipid levels by mutation of the phosphatidylcholine lipase Swiss cheese (Sws) or the ethanolamine kinase Easily shocked (Eas) does not perturb individualization, nor does Sws overexpression. Our results suggest that fatty acid derived signals such as prostaglandins, whose abundance is regulated by the Lands Cycle, are important regulators of spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eli Miller
- Department of Biology; Yeshiva University ; New York, NY USA
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Siegel DS, Sever DM. Sperm aggregations in femaleAgkistrodon piscivorus (Reptilia:Squamata): A histological and ultrastructural investigation. J Morphol 2008; 269:189-206. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.10588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Pilastro A, Mandelli M, Gasparini C, Dadda M, Bisazza A. Copulation duration, insemination efficiency and male attractiveness in guppies. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Geldziler B, Chatterjee I, Singson A. The genetic and molecular analysis of spe-19, a gene required for sperm activation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Biol 2005; 283:424-36. [PMID: 15939418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2004] [Revised: 04/28/2005] [Accepted: 04/28/2005] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During the process of spermiogenesis (sperm activation) in Caenorhabditis elegans, the dramatic morphological events that ultimately transform round sessile spermatids into polar motile spermatozoa occur without the synthesis of any new gene products. Previous studies have identified four genes (spe-8, spe-12, spe-27 and spe-29) that specifically block spermiogenesis and lead to hermaphrodite-specific fertility defects. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of a new component of the sperm activation pathway, spe-19, that is required for fertility in hermaphrodites. spe-19 is predicted to encode a novel single-pass transmembrane protein. The spe-19 mutant phenotype, genetic interactions and the molecular nature of the gene product suggest SPE-19 to be a candidate for the receptor/co-receptor necessary for the transduction of the activation signal across the sperm plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Geldziler
- Waksman Institute, Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Dorus S, Evans PD, Wyckoff GJ, Choi SS, Lahn BT. Rate of molecular evolution of the seminal protein gene SEMG2 correlates with levels of female promiscuity. Nat Genet 2004; 36:1326-9. [PMID: 15531881 DOI: 10.1038/ng1471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2004] [Accepted: 10/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Postcopulatory sperm competition is a key aspect of sexual selection and is believed to drive the rapid evolution of both reproductive physiology and reproduction-related genes. It is well-established that mating behavior determines the intensity of sperm competition, with polyandry (i.e., female promiscuity) leading to fiercer sperm competition than monandry. Studies in mammals, particularly primates, showed that, owing to greater sperm competition, polyandrous taxa generally have physiological traits that make them better adapted for fertilization than monandrous species, including bigger testes, larger seminal vesicles, higher sperm counts, richer mitochondrial loading in sperm and more prominent semen coagulation. Here, we show that the degree of polyandry can also impact the dynamics of molecular evolution. Specifically, we show that the evolution of SEMG2, the gene encoding semenogelin II, a main structural component of semen coagulum, is accelerated in polyandrous primates relative to monandrous primates. Our study showcases the intimate relationship between sexual selection and the molecular evolution of reproductive genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Dorus
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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Torgerson DG, Kulathinal RJ, Singh RS. Mammalian sperm proteins are rapidly evolving: evidence of positive selection in functionally diverse genes. Mol Biol Evol 2002; 19:1973-80. [PMID: 12411606 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing number of genes involved in sex and reproduction have been demonstrated to be rapidly evolving. Here, we show that genes expressed solely in spermatozoa represent a highly diverged subset among mouse and human tissue-specific orthologs. The average rate of nonsynonymous substitutions per site (K(a)) is significantly higher in sperm proteins (mean K(a) = 0.18; N = 35) than in proteins expressed specifically in all other tissues (mean K(a) = 0.074; N = 473). No differences, however, are found in the synonymous substitution rate (K(s)) between tissues, suggesting that selective forces, and not mutation rate, explain the high rate of replacement substitutions in sperm proteins. Four out of 19 sperm-specific genes with characterized function demonstrated evidence of strong positive Darwinian selection, including a protein involved in gene regulation, Protamine-1 (PRM1), a protein involved in glycolysis, GAPDS, and two egg-binding proteins, Adam-2 precursor (ADAM2) and sperm-adhesion molecule-1 (SAM1). These results demonstrate the rapid evolution of sperm-specific genes and highlight the molecular action of sexual selection on a variety of characters involved in mammalian sperm function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara G Torgerson
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model system for the study of fertilization. C. elegans exists as a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite or as a male. This unusual situation provides an excellent opportunity to identify and maintain sterile mutants that affect sperm and no other cells. Analysis of these mutants can identify genes that encode proteins required for gamete recognition, adhesion, signaling, fusion, and/or activation at fertilization. These genes can also provide a starting point for the identification of additional molecules required for fertility. This review describes progress in the genetic and molecular dissection of fertilization in C. elegans and related studies on sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Singson
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA.
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Every Sperm Is Sacred: Fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Biol 2001. [DOI: 10.1006/dbio.2000.0118 s0012-1606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
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