Morphogenesis and fate of the residual body in human spermiogenesis

Abstract

In the human testis the formation of the residual body of the spermatid and its morphological changes during and after spermiation were studied by means of electron microscopy. The caudal cytoplasmic mass of the late spermatid contains a Golgi complex, mitochondria, annulate lamellae, a chromatoid body, flower-like structures, ribosomes, a few large vacuoles, myelin-like membrane profiles and sporadic lipid droplets. When, by detachment of the caudal cytoplasm from the free spermatozoon, the residual body is formed, the chromatoid body has disappeared; the mitochondria are clustered peripherally; the ribosomes appear as a single complex in contact with a large vacuole containing granular material; in place of the Golgi complex aggregations of vesicles are present. The lipid droplets remain unchanged. The residual bodies or their fragments are either extruded via the seminiferous tubular lumen into the excurrent ducts or they are engulfed by Sertoli cells where in the supranuclear region the successive steps of decomposition can be observed. The participation of the various constituents in the disintegration of the residual body is discussed. In contrast to other mammalian species, in man the sporadic lipid droplets seem to be of minor importance in the fate of the residual body.

Quantitative Aspects of Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Spermatogenesis.

“…In the buffalo the residual bodies are not phagocytosed by Sertoli cells but undergo a rapid autolytis in apical position, as has also been reported for the bull (WROBEL and SCHIMMEL, 1989). Some residual bodies seem to be lost into the tubular lumen, as observed in the human by BREUCKER et al (1985).…”

Testis Hormone-sensitive Lipase Expression in Spermatids Is Governed by a Short Promoter in Transgenic Mice

“…After spermiation, strong labeling was found in residual bodies in the mouse and rat and residual staining was visible in spermatozoa. Residual bodies are difficult to observe in human testis sections (16). In human testis, weak labeling was also observed in Sertoli cells.…”

“…Using early spermatid nuclear extracts and transgenesis, a GT-rich binding region was identified in the 95-bp sequence and shown to be involved in the testis-specific expression of HSL. (8,16,24, and 48 days old) and rats (9,20,35,45, and 90 days old) were purchased from Elevage Janvier (Le Genest Saint Isle, France). Human testes were obtained from patients undergoing therapeutic orchidectomy for metastatic prostate carcinoma (protocol approved by the Ethics Committee of the city of Rennes, France).…”

Dissociated centriole development as a cause of spermatid malformation in man

“…All the cytoplasmic components of the developing spermatid are obviously under the influence of the distal centriole and are associated with the isolated tails when released into the tubular lumen. This fact explains the frequent appearance of a cytoplasmic knob contain¬ ing the constituents of a residual body (Breucker et al, 1985) at the proximal end of the separated tail. The varied aspects of the isolated tails in the lumina of the seminiferous tubules are due to different degrees of development of the middle piece.…”