Further observations on spermiophagy by murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro

Ball, Richard Y.; Scott, Naomi M.; Mitchinson, M. J.

doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0710221

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Radioactivity increased in these nodes only when labelled spermatozoa appeared in the tract, at about the time when they were in the corpus epididymidis. No whole sperm heads were identified unambiguously in the autoradiographs of the caudal node; this may have been due to the rapid dissolution of spermatozoa (Ball, Scott & Mitchinson, 1984), or simply to the difficulty of identification. We therefore refer to radioactivity in the lymph nodes as spermatozoa/sperm products although it is possible that, as in the ram and boar, whole spermatozoa are translocated (Ball & Setchell, 1983).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Fate of superfluous sperm products after vasectomy and in the normal male tract of the mouse

Barratt

Cohen

1986

Reproduction

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Summary. The progression of 3H-labelled spermatozoa (thymidine or arginine) was followed through the tracts of unilaterally vasectomized, bilaterally vasectomized, oligozoospermic (t6/tw5) and normal mice; the regional lymph nodes were also investigated. The same rate of sperm production and transport was found in normal and in vasectomized tracts, down to the corpus epididymidis; there was some delay in spermatozoa entering the cauda in the vasectomized tracts. In the mouse, therefore, vasectomy does not affect the rates of sperm production or transport until just before the blockage in the swollen cauda epididymidis. Radioactivity appeared in the caudal and 'paraaortic' lymph nodes as the radioactive spermatozoa passed from the corpus, showing that this is one route of disposal of spermatozoa, or of sperm products, after vasectomy.Naturally oligozoospermic and normal mice gave similar results; again the caudal, iliac and renal lymph nodes received radioactive spermatozoa/sperm products. Some loss of (by definition) superfluous spermatozoa in the normal male tract therefore occurs naturally by this route, and we suggest that vasectomy further exploits this physiological pathway. This would account for the finding that many males do not make antisperm antibodies after vasectomy, just as normal males do not, even though their lymph nodes normally receive spermatozoa/sperm products.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Fate of superfluous sperm products after vasectomy and in the normal male tract of the mouse

Barratt

Cohen

1986

Reproduction

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“…This result was surprising because, due to ROS accumulation, stored sperm should experience oxidative stress, a phenomenon to which they are particularly sensitive; indeed, sperm ageing is normally correlated with greater DNA fragmentation (Comar et al, 2017;Reinhardt, 2007). A plausible hypothesis is an elimination of sperm with highly fragmentated DNA through phagocytosis, as has been seen in the reproductive tissues of both sexes in squamates (Nogueira et al, 2011), birds (Chiba et al, 2011), mammals (Ball et al, 1984;Bernard, 1984) and the honey bee (Da Cruz-Landim, 2002). Over time, phagocytosis should then gradually decrease the number of spermatozoa in the accessory testes, a pattern that we did not observe.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age‐related changes in male ant sperm quality

Degueldre

Aron

2023

Journal of Zoology

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Sperm cells age during storage in the male reproductive organs, which can lead ejaculate quality to decline dramatically over time. Such may pose a particular concern in species with constrained sperm supplies, where adult males cannot replenish their sperm reserves. In eusocial hymenopterans (i.e. ants, bees and wasps with permanent castes), males typically reach adulthood with a limited quantity of sperm, and their testes deteriorate shortly thereafter. In adult life, both sexes mate during a single reproductive event. While males die quickly after copulation, they persist posthumously via sperm stored in their mates' spermatheca, sometimes for decades. As a result of this mating system, males should experience intense selection pressure to produce and transfer high‐quality sperm. Using the black garden ant (Lasius niger) as a model system, we investigated whether the duration of storage in the accessory testes before copulation affected sperm quality. We found that there was no impact of male age on sperm number or viability and that sperm DNA fragmentation decreased rather that increased with age. These results highlight the extent to which male ants, and possibly other taxa with constrained sperm supplies, have evolved extremely specialized strategies to ensure reproductive performance.

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“…Spermiophagy is the phagocytosis of sperm by epithelial cells or macrophages. It has been observed in a large number of organisms [mammals (Ball, Scott & Mitchinson, 1984; Bernard, 1984); birds (Chiba, Nakamura & Morimoto, 2011); fishes (Porawski, Wassermann & Achaval, 2004); reptiles (Akbarsha, Kadalmani & Tamilarasan, 2007; Nogueira et al ., 2011); amphibians (Sever, 1992)] (Fig. 3C).…”

Section: Spermiophagymentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term sperm storage in eusocial Hymenoptera

Degueldre

Aron

2022

Biological Reviews

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In internally fertilizing species, sperm transfer is not always immediately followed by egg fertilization, and female sperm storage (FSS) may occur. FSS is a phenomenon in which females store sperm in a specialized organ for periods lasting from a few hours to several years, depending on the species. Eusocial hymenopterans (ants, social bees, and social wasps) hold the record for FSS duration. In these species, mating takes place during a single nuptial flight that occurs early in adult life for both sexes; they never mate again. Males die quickly after copulation but survive posthumously as sperm stored in their mates' spermathecae. Reproductive females, also known as queens, have a much longer life expectancy, up to 20 years in some species. Here, we review what is currently known about the molecular adaptations underlying the remarkable FSS capacities in eusocial hymenopterans. Because sperm quality is crucial to the reproductive success of both sexes, we also discuss the mechanisms involved in sperm storage and preservation in the male seminal vesicles prior to ejaculation. Finally, we propose future research directions that should broaden our understanding of this unique biological phenomenon.

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Further observations on spermiophagy by murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro

Cited by 10 publications

References 13 publications

Fate of superfluous sperm products after vasectomy and in the normal male tract of the mouse

Fate of superfluous sperm products after vasectomy and in the normal male tract of the mouse

Age‐related changes in male ant sperm quality

Long‐term sperm storage in eusocial Hymenoptera

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