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Embedding resin space, water contents and chromatin compaction in rabbit sperm nuclei: Electron microscopic X‐ray spectrophotometry of a brominated probe
Author(s) -
Ekwall H.,
Plöen L.,
Courtens J. L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0272.1995.tb01091.x
Subject(s) - bromide , sperm , chemistry , chromatin , spectrophotometry , nucleus , scanning electron microscope , nuclear chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , materials science , biology , biochemistry , inorganic chemistry , botany , composite material , dna , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary EPON labelled with bromide was used to embed ejaculated rabbit spermatozoa, with the hypothesis that it replaces cell water. X‐Ray spectrophotometric microanalysis of sperm nuclei, of egg yolk (an internal standard containing roughly 50% water) and of surrounding embedding resin, revealed that a part of the bromide was bound to the biological components. These latter were saturated when bromide was added in higher concentrations, and the increase in measured bromide could be used to calculate absolute resin contents in sperm nuclei which gives a mean value of 22.62%. Most nuclei (60.80%) were well condensed and displayed a mean resin space close to 17% of the total nuclear volume. The less condensed nuclei had a mean resin space close to 28%. The use of an internal standard revealed that calculated values were underestimated by 4%.