Journal
CELL MOTILITY AND THE CYTOSKELETON
Volume 66, Issue 5, Pages 281-291Publisher
WILEY-LISS
DOI: 10.1002/cm.20358
Keywords
sperm motility; axoneme; dynein; foam nest; Rhacophorus
Categories
Funding
- Kyoto University [A06]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Fertilization of the green tree frog, Rhacophorus arboreus, occurs in the viscous environment of a foam nest, which is laid on vegetation. Their spermatozoa have it characteristic corkscrew-shaped head and a thick tail that extends perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis. However, it is unclear how these corkscrew-shaped spermatozoa move in this highly viscous environment. Here, we found that the spinning of the corkscrew-shaped head caused by winding and unwinding of the fail. enables the spermatozoa to move through the highly viscous environment of a foam nest, like a corkscrew rotating into a cork. We suggested that dislocations observed in the matrix of satellite microtubules surrounding two axonemes, reflected the planes of sliding of the axonemes, and dyneins on doublets two and six of each axoneme were active during winding and unwinding, respectively. These results provide a novel mechanism for sperm movement that is adapted specifically to a viscous fertilization, environment. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 66: 281-291, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available