Hostname: page-component-7f64f4797f-n5rmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-04T14:44:05.631Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Selection for the length of the spermatozoan midpiece in the mouse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

D. M. Woolley
D. M. Woolley
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A subcellular dimension, the length of the spermatozoan midpiece, has been the subject of a two-way selection programme in mice. After thirteen generations of within-family selection the divergence between the selected lines amounted to 5·4 phenotypic standard deviations. The realized heritability was found to be 0·76 ± 0·02, dominance and commonenvironmental effects being apparently very small. The reality of the selection response was verified in measurements on live spermatozoa. Other measurements have shown that the change in the length of the midpiece has been independent of its width, and has occurred without a proportionate change in the length of the main-piece of the flagellum. An electron microscope study has shown that the selection has, in fact, brought about changes in the quantity of mitochondrial material in the sperm cells.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , December 1970 , pp. 261 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

References

REFERENCES

Beatty, R. A. (1961). Genetics of mammalian gametes. Animal Breeding Abstracts 29, 243–256.Google Scholar
Beatty, R. A. (1970). The genetics of the mammalian gamete. Biological Reviews 45, 73–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beatty, R. A. & Napier, R. A. N. (1960). Genetics of gametes II. Strain differences in characteristics of rabbit spermatozoa. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh B 68, 17–24.Google Scholar
Beatty, R. A. & Sharma, K. N. (1960). Genetics of gametes III. Strain differences in spermatozoa from eight inbred strains of mice. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh B 68, 25–53.Google Scholar
Becker, W. A. (1967). Manual of Procedures in Quantitative Genetics, 2nd Edition. Washington State University, 1967.Google Scholar
Braden, A. W. H. (1956). Studies on mammalian ova. Ph.D. Thesis, Edinburgh University.Google Scholar
Braden, A. W. H. (1959). Strain differences in the morphology of the gametes of the mouse. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 12, 65–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Challice, C. E. (1953). Electron microscope studies of spermiogenesis in some rodents. Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society 73, 115–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dietert, S. E. (1966). Fine structure of the formation and fate of the residual bodies of mouse spermatozoa, with evidence for the participation of lysosomes. Journal of Morphology 120, 317–346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falconer, D. S. (1963). In ‘Methodology in Mammalian Genetics’. Ed. Burdette, W. J., p. 193. San Franscico, 1963: Holden-Day Inc.Google Scholar
Falconer, D. S. (1964). Introduction to Quantitative Genetics. Edinburgh and London, 1964: Oliver and Boyd.Google Scholar
Friend, G. F. (1936). The sperms of the British Muridae. Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science 78, 419–443.Google Scholar
Illisson, L. (1969). Spermatozoal head shape in two inbred strains of mice and their F1 and F2 progenies. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 22, 947–963.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kashiwabara, T. (1964). Size of sperm head and of red blood cells in the domestic fowl. Poultry Science 43, 411–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Napier, R. A. N. (1961). Fertility in the male rabbit III. Estimation of spermatozoan quality by mixed insemination and the inheritance of spermatozoan characteristics. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 2, 273–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nicander, L. (1962). Development of the fibrous sheath of the mammalian sperm tail. Proc. Vth International Congress for Electron Microscopy M4, 1962. New York: Academic Press Inc.Google Scholar
Sharma, K. N. (1960). Genetics of gametes IV. The phenotype of mouse spermatozoa in four inbred strains and their F1 crosses. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh B 68, 54–71.Google Scholar
Snyder, R. L. (1966). Collection of mouse semen by electroejaculation. Anatomical Record 155, 11–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Woolley, D. M. (1969). Genetic effects in spermatozoa. Ph.D. Thesis, Edinburgh University.Google Scholar
Woolley, D. M. (1970). The midpiece of the mouse spermatozoon: its form and development as seen by surface replication. Journal of Cell Science 6, 865–879.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Woolley, D. M. & Beatty, R. A. (1967). Inheritance of midpiece length in mouse spermatozoa. Nature 215, 94–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed