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Localizations of intracellular calcium and Ca 2+ ‐ATPase in hamster spermatogenic cells and spermatozoa
Author(s) -
Feng H.L.,
Hershlag A.,
Han Y.B.,
Zheng L.J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20329
Subject(s) - capacitation , spermatogenesis , acrosome reaction , acrosome , calcium , calcium in biology , sertoli cell , sperm , microbiology and biotechnology , spermatocyte , cytoplasm , biology , plasma membrane ca2+ atpase , hamster , endoplasmic reticulum , endocrinology , intracellular , chemistry , andrology , medicine , atpase , biochemistry , meiosis , genetics , enzyme , gene
Abstract Calcium plays a predominant role regulating many functional processes of spermatogenesis and fertilization. The purpose of the present study is to define the exact location of calcium as well as examine the role it plays during spermatogenesis and sperm capacitation. Testes and epididymides were obtained from adult healthy male hamsters. Spermatozoa were incubated with modified Tyrode's medium up to 4 h at 37°C for sperm capacitation in vitro. Samples of the testes and sperm cells were analyzed by cytochemical techniques to determine the location of calcium and Ca 2+ ‐ATPase and the percentage of acrosome reactions under light and electron microscopy. The data showed that (1) Sertoli cells exhibited numerous calcium precipitates as large, round, electron‐dense bodies distributed throughout the cytoplasm and the mitochondrial matrix. Fine calcium precipitates existed in fewer numbers in the intracellular storage sites of spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes, in sharp distinction to secondary spermatocyte and spermatids, which showed an abundance of large and round calcium precipitates, especially in the mitochondrial matrix of spermatids. More calcium deposits were distributed in the plasma membrane (PM), acrosome membrane, and matrices of the acrosome and mitochondria following capacitation; (2) Ca 2+ ‐ATPase was found in the endoplasmic reticulum system and PM of noncapacitated spermatozoa as well as Sertoli cells. Capacitated spermatozoa showed a weak signal. These results suggest that the presence of calcium in spermatogenic cells might play a role in cell growth and differentiation during spermatogenesis. The Ca 2+ ‐ATPase function may be inhibited during capacitation, leading to an increase in acrosomal calcium level and triggering of acrosomal exocytosis. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.