Open AccessEffect of R obertsonian translocations on sperm head form in the house mouse
Author(s) -
Medarde Nuria,
MartínezVargas Jessica,
SánchezChardi Alejandro,
LópezFuster María José,
Ventura Jacint
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
biological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.906
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1095-8312
pISSN - 0024-4066
DOI - 10.1111/bij.12163
Subject(s) - biology , sperm , genetics , robertsonian translocation , karyotype , chromosomal translocation , spermatogenesis , house mice , chromosome , human fertilization , evolutionary biology , zoology , gene , endocrinology
Sperm morphology reflects a long process of adaptation to external conditions and the barriers encountered before ova fertilization can take place; however, not all morphological variation found in gametes can be explained by the effects of these selective forces, as the genetic component may also contribute to the establishment of different gametic features. In north‐eastern S pain, there is a wide Robertsonian system of M us musculus domesticus , where individuals with 2 n ranging from 27 to 40 chromosomes have been described. To elucidate the effect of the karyotype on sperm head form, a comparative analysis between different chromosomal groups of mice from this zone was carried out. Sperm heads from eight S t (2 n = 40) and 24 R b (2 n = 30–39) males were processed for scanning electron microscopy and analysed using geometric morphometric techniques. Canonical variate analyses showed substantial shape differences between S t and R b mice in the ventral spur region and between R b groups in the post‐acrosomal region. Significant differences in sperm head size were also detected between chromosomal groups. Structural disorders related to spermatogenesis, genetic alterations, and epistatic interactions among loci are probably involved in the relationship between the phenotypic variation of the sperm head and R b translocations. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2013, 110 , 878–889.