ISSN:
0148-7280
Keywords:
calcium
;
ultrastructure
;
motility
;
respiration
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Rapid cooling (cold shocking) of washed ejaculated ram sperm to 0°C irreversibly reduced motility, tail beat frequency, and respiration and increased the uptake of 45Ca2+. The plasma membranes were removed from the sperm head, and the acrosomes were detached from the nuclei. The plasma membranes of the middle piece were removed, and the mitochondria contained pale and expanded cristae, similar in appearance to ATP-deprived mitochondria in the “condensed” configuration. The presence of 2.0 mg/ml phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) in the medium prevented ultrastructural damage on cold shock, and the motility, tail beat frequency, respiratory rate, and calcium uptake were maintained at levels similar to washed sperm. As the “protective” effect of phosphatidylcholine against cold shock was maintained to a certain extent after rewashing and centrifuging the sperm prior to cold shock, the interaction of phosphatidylcholine with ram sperm membranes may be fairly “tight” and not easily disrupted.
Additional Material:
14 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrd.1120150106
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