title: The structural organisation of sperm head components of the wombat and koala (suborder: Vombatiformes): an enigma amongst marsupials.
abstract: The sperm head structural organisation of the koala and hairy-nosed wombat, and the effects of varying concentrations of the ionic detergent, Triton X-100, on its component parts, were determined by electron microscopy. Although alike in form between the 2 species, the sperm nucleus of the former, but not the latter, had nuclear vacuoles and appeared to be more easily dispersed by the Triton X-100. The structure of the acrosome of the spermatozoon was similar between the 2 species and, in both, previously undescribed thin posterior and lateral segments were found to be present. It is suggested that this thin segment may facilitate sperm-zona and/or sperm-oolemma binding and fusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia. william.breed@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Breed
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ricci
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017830:Octoxynol; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D017830:Octoxynol