An unexpected twist: Sperm cells coil to the right in land snails and to the left in song birds

Langelaan, Rob; Hemmings, Nicola; Oostenbrugge, Wesley van; Visser, Stefan

doi:10.1163/18759866-08604003

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In the usual perception, sperms are thought to use the soft tail for swimming by rotating or beating (7)(8)(9), and the head is only a container of the genetic material. Some sperms of various species, such as cartilaginous fish (10)(11)(12), passerine birds (13)(14)(15)(16), some amphibians (17)(18)(19)(20), cephalodasys maximus (21), annelida (22), arthropoda (23), monotreme, and epiphanes senta, as reviewed by researchers (24,25), have a distinctive spiral head. Apart from the morphology studies, some researchers also reported the spinning motion of sperms with spiral head (26)(27)(28)(29), including their motility in viscous environments (30)(31)(32).…”

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confidence: 99%

Self-adaptive and efficient propulsion of Ray sperms at different viscosities enabled by heterogeneous dual helixes

Wang

Azad

Yang

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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We disclose a peculiar rotational propulsion mechanism of Ray sperms enabled by its unusual heterogeneous dual helixes with a rigid spiral head and a soft tail, named Heterogeneous Dual Helixes (HDH) model for short. Different from the conventional beating propulsion of sperm, the propulsion of Ray sperms is from both the rotational motion of the soft helical tail and the rigid spiral head. Such heterogeneous dual helical propulsion style provides the Ray sperm with high adaptability in viscous solutions along with advantages in linearity, straightness, and bidirectional motion. This HDH model is further corroborated by a miniature swimming robot actuated via a rigid spiral head and a soft tail, which demonstrates similar superiorities over conventional ones in terms of adaptability and efficiency under the same power input. Such findings expand our knowledge on microorganisms’ motion, motivate further studies on natural fertilization, and inspire engineering designs.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-adaptive and efficient propulsion of Ray sperms at different viscosities enabled by heterogeneous dual helixes

Wang

Azad

Yang

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…In songbirds, the acrosome has a helical membrane (also known as a helical keel) that spirals around the cell core, and recent evidence suggests that the direction of this helical spiral is sinistral (counterclockwise; Schilthuizen et al. ). Together, the helical core and helical membrane give songbird sperm a distinct spiral or corkscrew shape, and there appears to be substantial variation in this shape across species (Jamieson ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The acrosome is at the anterior of the head and contains enzymes that allow the sperm to penetrate the perivitelline layer of the ovum (Nishio and Matsuda 2017), while the nucleus contains the densely compacted DNA. In songbirds, the acrosome has a helical membrane (also known as a helical keel) that spirals around the cell core, and recent evidence suggests that the direction of this helical spiral is sinistral (counterclockwise; Schilthuizen et al 2017). Together, the helical core and helical membrane give songbird sperm a distinct spiral or corkscrew shape, and there appears to be substantial variation in this shape across species (Jamieson 2007a).…”

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confidence: 99%

Sperm head morphology is associated with sperm swimming speed: A comparative study of songbirds using electron microscopy

et al. 2018

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Sperm exhibit extraordinary levels of morphological diversification across the animal kingdom. In songbirds, sperm have a helically shaped head incorporating a distinct acrosomal membrane or "helical keel," the form and extent of which varies across species. The functional significance of this helical shape, however, remains unknown. Using scanning electron microscopy, we quantified inter- and intraspecific variation in sperm head morphology across 36 songbird species (Passeriformes: Passerida). Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we investigated the relationship between sperm head morphology and both sperm swimming speed and the frequency of extra-pair young (EPY). We found that species whose sperm had a relatively more pronounced helical form (i.e., long acrosome, short nucleus, wide helical membrane, and a more pronounced waveform along the sperm head "core") had faster-swimming sperm. We found no evidence of a relationship between interspecific variation in sperm head morphology and EPY, although we did find that among- and within-male variation in sperm head traits were negatively correlated with EPY. Applying principles of fluid mechanics, we discuss how the helical form of the sperm head may influence swimming speed, and suggest that further studies considering aspects of sperm morphology beyond sperm length are needed to improve our understanding of sperm structure-function relationships.

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“…But, curiously, they differ in the direction in which the head is twisted. Rotation of the sperm head in birds is clockwise whereas in land snails it is counter-clockwise (367). It is not clear how or why these sperm head forms have evolved and why there are so conserved within taxa.…”

Section: Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, a spirally twisted sperm head, as seen in passerine birds, is also seen in other taxa, such as land snails, but, curiously, they differ in the direction in which the head is twisted. Rotation of the sperm head in birds is clockwise, whereas in land snails it is counterclockwise ( 61 ). It is not clear how or why these sperm head forms have evolved and why they are so conserved within taxa.…”

Section: Sperm Structure and Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm bauplan and function and underlying processes of sperm formation and selection

Teves

Roldán

2022

Physiological Reviews

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The spermatozoon is a highly differentiated and polarized cell, with two main structures: the head, containing a haploid nucleus and the acrosomal exocytotic granule, and the flagellum, which generates energy and propels the cell; both structures are connected by the neck. The sperm's main aim is to participate in fertilization, thus activating development. Despite this common bauplan and function there is an enormous diversity in structure and performance of sperm cells. For example, mammalian spermatozoa may exhibit several head patterns and overall sperm lengths ranging from ~30 to 350 µm. Mechanisms of transport in the female tract, preparation for fertilization, and recognition and interaction with the oocyte also show considerable variation. There has been much interest in understanding the origin of this diversity, both in evolutionary terms and in relation to mechanisms underlying sperm differentiation in the testis. Here, relationships between sperm bauplan and function are examined at two levels. First, analyzing the selective forces that drive changes in sperm structure and physiology to understand the adaptive values of this variation and impact on male reproductive success. Second, examining cellular and molecular mechanisms of sperm formation in the testis that may explain how differentiation can give rise to such a wide array of sperm forms and functions.

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An unexpected twist: Sperm cells coil to the right in land snails and to the left in song birds

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Self-adaptive and efficient propulsion of Ray sperms at different viscosities enabled by heterogeneous dual helixes

Self-adaptive and efficient propulsion of Ray sperms at different viscosities enabled by heterogeneous dual helixes

Sperm head morphology is associated with sperm swimming speed: A comparative study of songbirds using electron microscopy

Sperm bauplan and function and underlying processes of sperm formation and selection

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