Analysis Tools
reproductive system
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• adult males show no differences in testis-to-body weight ratio relative to control males
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• epididymal sperm count is dramatically reduced
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• all of the few sperm collected from the cauda epididymides show a variety of abnormalities, including very short tails and mostly abnormally shaped heads
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• spermatids show a variety of axonemal abnormalities in the seminiferous tubules, including a complete absence of the core axoneme, disorganized microtubules, clusters of microtubules, and abnormally formed axonemes without the central microtubules
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• abnormally formed axonemes without the central microtubules are observed
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• step 11 and 13 elongating spermatids lack tails
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• all epididymal sperm have very short tails
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• most epididymal sperm have grossly abnormal heads
• elongating spermatids show round and distorted heads
• however, acrosome formation appears to be normal
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• elongating spermatids show round and distorted heads and absence of tails
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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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• seminiferous tubule lumen is almost empty, unlike in control tubules where sperm are found in the lumen
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• testicular expression of IFT81 protein (a major IFT74 binding partner) and components of other IFT complex proteins (IFT27, IFT57, IFT88, and IFT140) are significantly reduced
• AKAP4 (a processed form of the major component of the fibrous sheath) is also significantly reduced
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• stage XI seminiferous tubules show abnormal step 11 spermatids with abnormally shaped heads and absence of tails
• step 13 elongating spermatids lack tails while excess cytoplasm appears to be sloughed into the lumen
• cauda epididymal lumen is filled with massive amounts of large abnormal cytoplasmic bodies, residual bodies, sloughed round cells, and abnormal spermatids with short or absent tails
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• failure of spermiation in stage VIII, with abnormal step 16 spermatids being phagocytized, although step 8 round spermatids and pachytene spermatocytes look normal in the same tubule
• residual bodies are not formed but small pieces of germ cell cytoplasm are retained at the luminal border
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• when bred with adult wild-type females of known fertility for at least 2 months, none of the adult males tested sired any pups/litters, indicating complete male sterility
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cellular
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• epididymal sperm count is dramatically reduced
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• all of the few sperm collected from the cauda epididymides show a variety of abnormalities, including very short tails and mostly abnormally shaped heads
|
|
|
• spermatids show a variety of axonemal abnormalities in the seminiferous tubules, including a complete absence of the core axoneme, disorganized microtubules, clusters of microtubules, and abnormally formed axonemes without the central microtubules
|
|
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• abnormally formed axonemes without the central microtubules are observed
|
|
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• step 11 and 13 elongating spermatids lack tails
|
|
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• all epididymal sperm have very short tails
|
|
|
• most epididymal sperm have grossly abnormal heads
• elongating spermatids show round and distorted heads
• however, acrosome formation appears to be normal
|
|
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• elongating spermatids show round and distorted heads and absence of tails
|
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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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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• seminiferous tubule lumen is almost empty, unlike in control tubules where sperm are found in the lumen
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• testicular expression of IFT81 protein (a major IFT74 binding partner) and components of other IFT complex proteins (IFT27, IFT57, IFT88, and IFT140) are significantly reduced
• AKAP4 (a processed form of the major component of the fibrous sheath) is also significantly reduced
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