title: Metabolic activity of hypotonically treated mature boar spermatozoa.
abstract: Treatment of washed boar sperm with hypotonic phosphate buffer removed the acrosome, disrupted the cytoplasmic membrane and almost completely separated the heads from the mid piece-tail segment. As assessed by oxygen uptake studies and their ability to oxidize 14C-labelled substrates to 14CO2, hypotonically-treated cells exhibit low glycolytic activity yet mitochondrial activity remains high. Both lactate and glycerol 3-phosphate underwent oxidation and these substrates continued to be metabolized by this preparation which had been stored for up to 10 days at 4 degrees C. Such preparations may be of assistance in the investigation of the biochemistry of boar sperm mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. A.jones@biochem.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002021:Buffers; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D006019:Glycolysis; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010710:Phosphates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D010710:Phosphates; D019344:Lactic Acid; C029620:alpha-glycerophosphoric acid