Maturational changes in the survivability and fertility of fowl sperm during their passage through the male reproductive tract

Ahammad, Muslah Uddin; Nishino, C.; Tatemoto, Hideki; Okura, Nobuhiko; Kawamoto, Y.; Okamoto, Susumu; Nakada, Tadashi

doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.09.010

Cited by 18 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…In line with this, previous study in goat demonstrated that sterol content in sperm membrane dramatically increased during epididymal maturation (Rana et al, 1991). Although it is not known whether avian sperm undergo epididymal maturation or not, recent studies in chicken demonstrated that similar functional maturation of sperm occurs during their passage of male genital tract (Ahammad et al, 2011a;2011b). Further experiments are required to determine whether chicken sperm acquire sterols when undergoing the functional maturation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

Organization of Membrane Rafts in Chicken Sperm

et al. 2016

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Being transcriptionally and translationally inactive, sperm must utilize preassembled pathways into specific compartments in which they function to fertilize ovum. Membrane rafts are specific membrane regions enriched in sterols and glycosphingolipids such as ganglioside G M1 (G M1 ) and play an important role in a variety of cellular functions. Recent findings have demonstrated that membrane rafts are present in mammalian sperm and are involved in regulating the induction of acrosome exocytosis. However, no information is available on whether avian sperm possess membrane rafts. Thus, we investigated the organization of membrane rafts in chicken sperm. Our localization experiments for G M1 and sterols showed that the plasma membrane overlaying the sperm head possesses specific membrane domains enriched in both aforementioned lipids. Caveolin-1, which localizes into membrane rafts in other systems, was localized only to the sperm tail. Based on the biochemical definition that membrane rafts are insoluble membranes when subjected to a Triton X-100 treatment, we isolated detergent-insoluble membranes from chicken sperm and quantified the G M1 content, which showed an enrichment of G M1 in the membrane fraction relative to the detergent-soluble fraction. Together with the results of localization and biochemical experiments, we demonstrate for the first time that membrane rafts exist in chicken sperm. Thus, our results provide a foundation for investigating a novel cellular pathway inherent in avian sperm membranes that might be involved in functions necessary to achieve fertilization.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

Organization of Membrane Rafts in Chicken Sperm

et al. 2016

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“…However, the only studies directly testing the development of fertilizing capacity have been on the domestic fowl and Japanese quail. These studies found that subjective scores of the percentage of motile sperm increase during epididymal transit, indicating that some post-testicular sperm maturation occurs in birds (Munro 1938, Clulow & Jones 1982, Ahammad et al 2011a, 2011b. Studies involving insemination into the vagina confirmed the need for some post-testicular sperm maturation (Munro 1938, Howarth 1983.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Esponda & Bedford (1985) showed that a subset of epididymal proteins bind to the sperm surface and remain adherent even after prolonged incubation in the female reproductive tract (Esponda & Bedford 1985, Morris et al 1987. Also, Ahammad et al (2011b) demonstrated a correlation between epididymal passage and an increase in the capacity of fowl sperm to bind to the epithelium of the female reproductive ducts. However, there are no welldocumented studies of the occurrence of avian epididymal proteins.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-testicular sperm maturation and identification of an epididymal protein in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Nixon

Ewen²,

Krivanek³

et al. 2014

Reproduction

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The role of the avian epididymis in post-testicular development and capacitation was examined to assess whether avian spermatozoa undergo any processes similar to those characteristic of mammalian sperm development. We found no evidence of a need for quail sperm to undergo capacitation and 90% of testicular sperm could bind to a perivitelline membrane and acrosome react. However, computer-assisted sperm analysis showed that 20% of testicular sperm from the quail were capable of movement and only about 12% of the motile sperm would have a curvilinear velocity greater than the mean for sperm from the distal epididymis. Nevertheless, epididymal transit was associated with increases in mean sperm velocity and the proportion of motile sperm. Together, these findings explain why earlier workers have achieved some fertilizations following inseminations of testicular spermatozoa and also demonstrate the need for some epididymal maturation of avian spermatozoa. Analysis of the electrophoretic profile of quail epididymal luminal proteins revealed that only one major protein (w16 kDa) is secreted by the epididymis and it was virtually the only protein secreted by the ipsilateral epididymis following unilateral orchidectomy. Mass spectrometry showed that this protein is hemoglobin; this finding was confirmed using anti-hemoglobin antibodies. It is suggested that hemoglobin may support sperm metabolism in the quail epididymis, aid in motility, and/or serve as an antioxidant.

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“…Chicken testicular sperm can fertilize eggs when deposited into the magnum but not into the vagina of the hen [30], probably because of selective mechanisms in the uterovaginal junction of the oviduct [31]. Ahammad et al [32,33] proposed that chicken sperm experience morphological and biochemical maturation as they pass through the male reproductive tract, and that this is critical for their survival in the sperm storage tubules in the oviduct. The fertility of one quail hen extended to the second week after insemination, indicating that the sperm from the transplants can survive in the sperm storage tubules as long as that of ejaculated sperm [34], posing the question of whether maturation is necessary for quail sperm to survive in the oviduct and to fertilize eggs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Production of Live Offspring from Testicular Tissue Cryopreserved by Vitrification Procedures in Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)1

Liu

Cheng

Silversides

2013

Biology of Reproduction

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Cryopreservation of testicular tissue can be used for ex situ conservation of male germplasm of avian species. The possibility of using vitrification and transplantation of testicular tissue for fertility preservation and recovery was tested in Japanese quail. Testes were removed from 1-wk-old Japanese quail; transfixed on acupuncture needles; equilibrated with dimethyl sulphoxide, ethylene glycol, and sucrose; plunged into liquid nitrogen; and stored in 2-ml straws. Cryopreserved tissue was warmed in sucrose solution at room temperature or at 40°C. Fresh and cryopreserved tissue were transplanted subcutaneously into castrated, 1-wk-old recipients. Twenty of 21 recipients survived the surgery, and 18 had viable transplants at maturity, with no difference in transplantation success between fresh and cryopreserved tissue. Fluid extrusion from 11 of the transplants was collected and inseminated surgically into the magnum of 22 quail hens, and 10 inseminations included foam from the proctodeal gland of the same recipients. Egg production in the 2 wk after insemination was reduced, and none of the hens inseminated with foam produced fertile eggs. Five hens inseminated without foam produced a total of eight live offspring; four of these hens had been inseminated with fluid extrusion from cryopreserved tissue. Histological examination showed spermatogenesis in the transplants, and the tubules, lumens, and epithelium of the seminiferous tubules were of comparable size to those of testicular tissue from intact males. These results demonstrate that testicular tissue of Japanese quail can be preserved using vitrification procedures and recovered through transplantation.

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Maturational changes in the survivability and fertility of fowl sperm during their passage through the male reproductive tract

Cited by 18 publications

References 47 publications

Organization of Membrane Rafts in Chicken Sperm

Organization of Membrane Rafts in Chicken Sperm

Post-testicular sperm maturation and identification of an epididymal protein in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Production of Live Offspring from Testicular Tissue Cryopreserved by Vitrification Procedures in Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)1

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