4.1 Article

Subcellular distribution of calcium during spermatogenesis of zebrafish, Danio rerio

Journal

JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY
Volume 278, Issue 8, Pages 1149-1159

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20701

Keywords

electron microscopy; oxalate-pyroantimonate; quantification; testis; ultrastructural localization

Funding

  1. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, project CENAKVA [CZ.1.05/2.1.00/01.0024]
  2. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, project CENAKVA II (NPU I program) [LO1205]
  3. Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice [125/2016/Z]
  4. Czech Science Foundation [P502/13/26952S]

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Calcium plays a variety of vital regulatory functions in many physiological and biochemical events in the cell. The aim of this study was to describe the ultrastructural distribution of calcium during different developmental stages of spermatogenesis in a model organism, the zebrafish (Danio rerio), using a combined oxalate-pyroantimonate technique. Samples were treated by potassium oxalate and potassium pyroantimonate during two fixation stages and examined using transmission electron microscopy to detect electron dense intracellular calcium. The subcellular distribution of intracellular calcium was characterized in spermatogonium, spermatocyte, spermatid, and spermatozoon stages. The area which is covered by intracellular calcium in different stages was quantified and compared using software. Isolated calcium deposits were mainly detectable in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the spermatogonium and spermatocyte. In the spermatid, calcium was partially localized in the cytoplasm as isolated deposits. However, most calcium was transformed from isolated deposits into an unbound pool (free calcium) within the nucleus of the spermatid and the spermatozoon. Interestingly, in the spermatozoon, calcium was mainly localized in a form of an unbound pool which was detectable as an electron-dense mass within the nucleus. Also, sporadic calcium deposits were scattered in the midpiece and flagellum. The proportional area which was covered by intracellular calcium increased significantly from early to late stages of spermatogenesis. The extent of the area which was covered by intracellular calcium in the spermatozoon was the highest compared to earlier stages. Calcium deposits were also observed in the somatic cells (Sertoli, myoid, Leydig) of zebrafish testis. The notable changes in the distribution of intracellular calcium of germ cells during different developmental stages of zebrafish spermatogenesis suggest its different homeostasis and physiological functions during the process of male gamete development.

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