Ultrastructural Features of Sperm Storage Tubules in the Oviduct of the Indian Garden Lizard, Calotes Versicolor

Abstract

This study provides the first description of the ultrastructural features of sperm storage tubules (SSTs) in the uterovaginal region of the oviduct of the Indian garden lizard, Calotes versicolor. Abundant spermatozoa along with copious secretory material were found in the lumen of the SSTs. These secretory granules appeared similar in electron density to those found in the epithelial cells lining the SSTs indicating their similar origin. The close physical proximity of sperm with these granules suggests an intimate association between the two. The present study is also the first report of recovery of motile sperm from the flushings of SSTs in C. versicolor. The density of sperm found in the flushings varied, being most abundant during the reproductive phase and minimum/absent during the regressive phase. Understanding the microenvironment of the SSTs, the nature of the secretory granules and their interaction with sperm can guide us in unraveling the biology of oviductal sperm storage. Anat Rec, 298:1932Rec, 298: -1937Rec, 298: , 2015. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Key words: uterovaginal junction; sperm storage tubules; secretory materialAbbreviations used: PAS 5 periodic acid-Schiff; SST 5 sperm storage tubule; TEM 5 transmission electron microscopy This article includes an AR WOW Video, which can be viewed at

Sperm storage by females across the animal phyla: A survey on the occurrence and biomolecules involved in sperm storage

“…Calotes versicolor as a model organism, we isolated a novel approximately 55-kDa protein from the uterovaginal flushings (lavage) that reversibly inhibited the motility of the sperm in vitro (Shankar et al, 2015;Shankar et al, 2018). However, besides the…”

“…versicolor the uterine tube and isthmus are not differentiated (Kumari et al, 1990;Shankar et al, 2015).…”

“…Thamnophis sirtalis (Birkhead & Møller, 1993;Olsson & Madsen, 1998), and Indian garden lizard, Calotes Versicolor (Shankar et al, 2015) to a few years as in Painted turtle, Chrysemys picta and Desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii (Pearse & Avise, 2001), the longest among vertebrates (Birkhead & Møller, 1993;Orr & Brennan, 2015).…”

“…The multiple roles of the reptilian oviduct and the structural specializations for these purposes provide enormous scope for future research (Girling & Girling, 2002). For the past three decades using the Indian garden lizard, Calotes versicolor as a model reptile to study the phenomenon of sperm storage by female (Kumari et al, 1990;Shankar et al, 2015;Shankar et al, 2018), we have documented some of its reproductive characters which are discussed below. A previous study in C. versicolor (Kumari et al, 1990) has shown the histological and histochemical features of the SSTs found at the junction of the uterus and vagina of the oviduct called the uterovaginal junction.…”

“…In relation to understanding the mechanisms of female sperm storage in these reptiles, the available literature is scanty. Most of the available literature is on occurrence (Adams & Cooper, 1988;Aldridge, 1992;Birkhead & Møller, 1993;Girling & Girling, 2002;Kumari et al, 1990) and histochemical localization (Hoffman & Wimsatt, 1972;Kumari et al, 1990) of certain molecules and a few ultrastructural studies of sperm storage structures (Han et al, 2008;Shankar et al, 2015;Siegel & Sever, 2008). Similarly, in poultry, quite a significant amount of information on sperm storage by female is now available (Bakst, 1981;Blesbois & Brillard, 2007;Das et al, 2006Das et al, , 2008Das et al, , 2009Das et al, , 2010Foye-Jackson et al, 2011;Long et al, 2003;Schindler et al, 1967;Van Krey et al, 1981;Yang et al, 2021).…”