An organized distribution of acrosomal proteinase in rabbit sperm acrosomes.
Acrosomal proteinase was found to be present in a highly organized distribution within the acrosomes of rabbit spermatozoa by cytochemistry. This distribution consists of at least six linear loops of evenly spaced proteinase granules, which run diagonally across the flat side of the sperm head in a crisscrossing pattern with the two most anterior loops surrounding the region of the acrosome reaction. This is the first description of an organized distribution of enzymes within a lysosome-like organelle.
D000177:Acrosome / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D004542:Ejaculation; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012834:Silver; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*
D012834:Silver; D010450:Endopeptidases