Possible involvement of a sperm-associated body in the process of fertilization in quail.
The present paper describes a novel structure, termed the sperm-associated body, which is found both in the lumen at the oviductal infundibulum and in the vitelline membrane of the ovum in the quail Coturnix japonica. The fully developed sperm-associated body, which is about 100 microm long, consisted of two parts; a core of concentric-circular appearance and a cortex of needle-like projections. The outer surface of the body was coated with CaCO3. The body was always accompanied by spermatozoa. About 70 sperm-associated bodies were observed in a single ovum. Electron-microscopically, small numbers of holes were detected in the vitelline membranes of a fertile ovum, and the sperm-associated bodies were always present in these holes. Frequently observed in the vitelline membranes was a disk speculated to be a portion of the inner layer of the membrane partially affected by spermatozoa. However, neither sperm-associated bodies nor spermatozoa were observed there. It was suggested that the sperm-associated bodies assist fertile spermatozoa in binding the inner layer of the vitelline membrane and penetrating it.
Sultana
Fowzia
F
Department of Animal Resource Production, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
Mao
Kun Ming
KM
Yoshizaki
Norio
N
D000818:Animals; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000032:analysis; D003370:Coturnix; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D007211:Indoles; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010057:Oviducts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011784:Quail / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D014817:Vitelline Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015053:Zygote / Q000648:ultrastructure
D007211:Indoles; C007293:DAPI; D002119:Calcium Carbonate