Analysis Tools
reproductive system
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• adult males exhibit no differences in testis-to-body weight ratio relative to control males
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• sperm tail forms without an axonemal complex of microtubules in the core
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• tail of elongating spermatids displays abnormal alignment of the outer dense fibers and mitochondria around the absent axoneme
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• sperm mitochondrial sheath appears disorganized
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• abnormal aggregates of fibrous sheath components are sometimes seen in areas bulging away from the core
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• some sperm tails appear to be kinked
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• all of the few epididymal sperm present exhibit short tails
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• cauda epididymal sperm density is markedly reduced
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• elongating spermatids exhibit abnormal head morphology
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• in areas of nucleopod formation, the acrosome shows abnormal folding at the indented region of the nucleus
• however, acrosome biogenesis is normal
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• in elongating spermatids with abnormal heads, nuclei are condensed but exhibit abnormal shapes, with extensions of nucleopods that are surrounded by the acrosome
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• numerous multinucleated giant germ cells are found in the lumen of seminiferous tubules and epididymis
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• only ~2% of epididymal sperm are motile but their motility, calculated as curvilinear velocity (VCL), is significantly reduced
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• vast majority of epididymal sperm are immotile
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• ultrastructural changes are observed in the seminiferous epithelium, including elongating spermatids with abnormal heads
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• testicular expression levels of most IFT components (IFT20, IFT25, IFT27, IFT57, IFT74 and IFT88) are significantly decreased; AKAP4 (a processed form of the major component of the fibrous sheath) is also reduced
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• cauda epididymis lumen is filled with large cytoplasmic bodies, sloughed spermatids, and rare sperm with abnormal heads and short or absent tails
• only limited acetylated tubulin staining is detected, indicating few sperm tails in the epididymal lumen; most clusters in the lumen are DAPI-negative, indicating residual bodies
• numerous multinucleated giant germ cells are seen in the lumen of seminiferous tubules and epididymis
• however, TUNEL staining showed no increase in apoptotic cells in seminiferous tubules
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• evidence of failure of spermiation is observed with the heads of thin, highly condensed step 16 spermatids pulled deep into the seminiferous epithelium
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• after 2 months of breeding with adult wild-type females of known fertility, none of the adult males tested sired any pups, indicating complete male sterility
• however, sexual behavior is normal and vaginal plugs are observed in the paired females
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cellular
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• sperm tail forms without an axonemal complex of microtubules in the core
|
|
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• tail of elongating spermatids displays abnormal alignment of the outer dense fibers and mitochondria around the absent axoneme
|
|
|
• sperm mitochondrial sheath appears disorganized
|
|
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• abnormal aggregates of fibrous sheath components are sometimes seen in areas bulging away from the core
|
|
|
• some sperm tails appear to be kinked
|
|
|
• all of the few epididymal sperm present exhibit short tails
|
|
|
• cauda epididymal sperm density is markedly reduced
|
|
|
• elongating spermatids exhibit abnormal head morphology
|
|
|
• in areas of nucleopod formation, the acrosome shows abnormal folding at the indented region of the nucleus
• however, acrosome biogenesis is normal
|
|
|
• in elongating spermatids with abnormal heads, nuclei are condensed but exhibit abnormal shapes, with extensions of nucleopods that are surrounded by the acrosome
|
|
|
• numerous multinucleated giant germ cells are found in the lumen of seminiferous tubules and epididymis
|
|
|
• only ~2% of epididymal sperm are motile but their motility, calculated as curvilinear velocity (VCL), is significantly reduced
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• vast majority of epididymal sperm are immotile
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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• ultrastructural changes are observed in the seminiferous epithelium, including elongating spermatids with abnormal heads
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• testicular expression levels of most IFT components (IFT20, IFT25, IFT27, IFT57, IFT74 and IFT88) are significantly decreased; AKAP4 (a processed form of the major component of the fibrous sheath) is also reduced
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