Application of two staining methods for sperm morphometric evaluation in domestic pigs

Abstract Introduction: The effect of two smear staining methods on the dimensions and shape of sperm cells in the semen of domestic pigs was evaluated. Material and Methods: The studies were carried out on 30 ejaculates collected from 15 boars, which included five Duroc boars, five Pietrain boars, and five hybrid Duroc × Pietrain boars. Each ejaculate was next sampled to make two microscopic slides, of which one was stained with eosin-nigrosin and the other with eosin-gentian dye. In total, 600 measurements of sperm cells were made. Each sperm was measured for the following morphometric parameters: head length, head width, head area, head perimeter, tail length, and the total sperm length. Results: Sperms measured on slides stained with eosin-nigrosin showed lower dimensions as compared with those stained with the eosin-gentian dye method. Sperm stained with eosin-nigrosin had shorter and narrower heads than sperm stained with eosin-gentian dye. The method of staining, therefore, affected not only the dimensions of the sperm, but also the proportions of the dimensions defining the shape of the sperm. Conclusions: The size and shape parameters in porcine sperm may take on different values depending on the method of semen staining. Sperm cells stained with eosin-nigrosin are smaller than the sperm stained with eosin-gentian dye. The sensitivity of the sperm to the type of dye used for the fixation may be associated with genetic factors.

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Morphometric Characteristics of the Spermatozoa of Blue Fox (Alopex lagopus) and Silver Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10101927 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1927

Author(s):

Katarzyna Andraszek ◽

Dorota Banaszewska ◽

Olga Szeleszczuk ◽

Marta Kuchta-Gładysz ◽

Anna Grzesiakowska

Keyword(s):

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Tail Length ◽

Head Length ◽

Head Width ◽

Sperm Length ◽

Alopex Lagopus ◽

Silver Fox ◽

Shape Indices ◽

Length Width ◽

Blue Fox

The results presented in this study are the first such extensive characterization of the sperm morphometry of the blue fox (Alopex lagopus) and silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), as representatives of the family Canidae. Canine spermatozoa, especially the sperm of farmed foxes, are not often described in studies on reproduction. The aim of the study was a detailed comparison of the morphometric dimensions and shape of the sperm of two fox species: silver fox and blue fox. Semen collected from 10 silver foxes and 10 blue foxes was used for the study. The specimens were stained with silver nitrate. Measurements were performed of the length, width, perimeter, and area of the head; the area of the acrosome and its coverage; the length of the midpiece and its coverage; the length of the tail; and the length of the end piece of the tail. In addition, four head shape indices were calculated: ellipticity, elongation, roughness and regularity. The following values for the morphometric parameters and shape indices were obtained for blue fox and silver fox, respectively: head length—6.72 µm and 6.33 µm; head width—4.54.µm and 4.21 µm; head perimeter—18.11 µm and 17.37 µm; head area—21.94 µm2 and 21.11 µm2; acrosome area—11.50 µm2 and 10.92 µm2; midpiece length—12.85 µm and 12.79 µm; tail end piece length—3.44 µm and 3.28 µm; tail length—65.23 µm and 65.09 µm; acrosome coverage—52.43% and 52.83%; midpiece coverage—19.71% and 19.65%; sperm length—71.95 µm and 71.42 µm; ellipticity—1.49 and 1.52; elongation—0.19 and 0.20; roughness—0.84 and 1.88; regularity—1.09 and 0.99. The significance of differences between species was verified by Tukey’s test at p ≤ 0.05. Statistically significant differences between species were found for the following parameters: head length, width, perimeter and area; acrosome area; tail, end piece, and total sperm length; roughness and regularity. The differences in the size and shape of sperm can be used to establish reference patterns for fox sperm enabling more accurate species identification.

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Sperm Morphology in Neotropical Primates

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9100839 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 839 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eliana R. Steinberg ◽

Adrián J. Sestelo ◽

María B. Ceballos ◽

Virginia Wagner ◽

Ana M. Palermo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sperm Morphology ◽

Tail Length ◽

Primate Species ◽

Head Width ◽

Sperm Length ◽

Neotropical Primates ◽

Evolutionary Changes ◽

Sperm Morphometry ◽

Morphometric Characterization

The morphological and morphometric characterization of spermatozoa has been used as a taxonomic and phylogenetic tool for different species of mammals. We evaluated and compared the sperm morphometry of five neotropical primate species: Alouatta caraya, Ateles belzebuth and Ateles chamek of family Atelidae; and Cebus cay (=Sapajus cay) and Cebus nigritus (=Sapajus nigritus) of family Cebidae. After the collection of semen samples, the following parameters were measured on 100 spermatozoa from each specimen: Head Length, Head Width, Acrosome Length, Midpiece Length, Midpiece Width and Tail Length. Considering the available literature on sperm morphometry, we gathered data of 75 individuals, from 20 species, 8 genera and 2 families. These data were superimposed on a phylogeny to infer the possible direction of evolutionary changes. Narrower and shorter spermatozoa seem to be the ancestral form for Cebidae, with a trend toward wider and larger heads in derived groups. The spermatozoa of Atelidae may show an increase in total length and midpiece length. Sperm heads would have become narrower in the more derived groups of Ateles. Sperm length may increase in the more derived species in both families. Our results are discussed in the context of sperm competition and sexual selection.

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Sexual dimorphism, deformations, and epibionts of Phrynops tuberosus (Testudines, Chelidae)

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/15707563-00002480 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 65 (3-4) ◽

pp. 311-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

João Fabrício Mota Rodrigues ◽

José Roberto Feitosa Silva

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Natural History ◽

Tail Length ◽

Condition Index ◽

Head Width ◽

Body Condition Index ◽

Future Studies ◽

History Of ◽

One Year ◽

Effective Conservation

Studies focusing on the natural history of species are essential for developing effective conservation measures and evaluating ecological hypotheses. To this end, we describe natural history data of the Cotinga River toadhead turtle, Phrynops tuberosus, in the Banabuiú River in Ceará, Brazil, and evaluated sexual dimorphism, epibionts, and mutilation effects. We hand-captured 134 individuals by snorkeling, over a period of one year, resulting in the capture of 94 males, 24 females, and 16 juveniles. Females had larger head width and body mass than males, while males had longer tail length. One quarter of the turtles captured had some sort of injury or deformation, most common injuries being missing claws, mutilations, and shell deformations. We found no difference in body condition index between mutilated and non-mutilated animals. Mollusks, insects, and leeches were found as epibionts on P. tuberosus and most of the captured turtles had extensive algal cover. Future studies should focus on understanding the effect of mutilations on animal fitness and reproductive success.

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Sperm-cell ultrastructure of North American sturgeons. I. The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z98-127 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (10) ◽

pp. 1822-1836 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Martin N DiLauro ◽

Wayne Kaboord ◽

Rosemary A Walsh ◽

William F Krise ◽

Michael A Hendrix

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Sperm Cell ◽

Evolutionary Relationship ◽

Lake Sturgeon ◽

White Sturgeon ◽

Evolutionary Relationships ◽

Head Width ◽

Sperm Cells ◽

Atlantic Sturgeon ◽

Stellate Sturgeon

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) and lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) sperm-cell morphologies were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Major differences were found in four of nine metrics, all in the head region of the cell. Atlantic sturgeon sperm cells were much shorter than those of lake sturgeon. Anterior head width exceeded posterior head width, in contrast to the arrangement in lake sturgeon sperm cells. Lake sturgeon sperm cells are nearer in size to those of other sturgeons than are Atlantic sturgeon sperm cells. Comparisons were made with sperm-cell structures known from other sturgeon species, including the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedti colchicus), stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus), Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), and white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). Variation in cell morphology may indicate evolutionary relationships. In addition, the fine structure of Atlantic sturgeon sperm cells was examined using transmission electron microscopy and selected metrics are described. The cell possesses a distinct acrosome, a midpiece, and a single flagellum. A comparison is made with ultrastructural details of the sperm cells of stellate and white sturgeons. Similarities among these species include radial symmetry about the longitudinal axis, an elongate shape, a distinct acrosome, and the presence of endonuclear canals. Noteworthy differences include a smaller total length and width than stellate and white sturgeon sperm cells. The main sperm-cell body is approximately 4 µm long and the flagellum about 37 µm long, resulting in a total cell length of about 41 µm. Also, the Atlantic sturgeon sperm cell possesses only two membraned endonuclear canals, in contrast to the arrangement in white and stellate sturgeons, where three such organelles are found. A structural connection of unknown function between the nuclear fossa and proximal centriole is also present in the Atlantic sturgeon sperm cell. Sperm-cell nuclei of white and stellate sturgeons are elongate trapezoids, with the anterior end narrower, whereas in Atlantic sturgeon the anterior portion of the trapezoid is wider than the posterior. Structural similarities between species may indicate a commonality of ancestral and evolutionary relationships that may have taxonomic implications. Ultrastructure suggests a closer evolutionary relationship between the white and stellate sturgeon than between either of these species and the Atlantic sturgeon. The present findings may be used by biologists studying the reproductive physiology, forensics, taxonomy, and genetics of sturgeons.

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The effects of inbreeding on sperm morphometry of captive-bred endangered mammals

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2016-0291 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 95 (8) ◽

pp. 599-606 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. Lawrence ◽

G. Mastromonaco ◽

K. Goodrowe ◽

R.M. Santymire ◽

W. Waddell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Captive Breeding ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Tail Length ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Sperm Head ◽

Head Width ◽

Canis Rufus ◽

Sperm Tail ◽

Sperm Morphometry ◽

Red Wolves

Captive breeding is used for the conservation of endangered species, but inbreeding can result when a small number of founders are used to establish populations. Inbreeding can reduce the proportion of normal sperm in an ejaculate, but may also have effects on sperm size and shape (morphometry). We investigated the effects of inbreeding on sperm morphometry of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851)) and red wolves (Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) from captive breeding programs to determine if more inbred males produced sperm of poor quality (bulky head, small midpiece, short tail). We measured sperm head length, head width, midpiece length, midpiece width, and tail length on 10 sperm from each male of both species. A negative relationship between variation in sperm tail length and inbreeding coefficient (f) was found in black-footed ferret, suggesting that more inbred individuals will have reduced genetic and phenotypic variation. Analyses indicated a negative relationship between sperm head width and f and a positive relationship between sperm tail length and f in red wolf, suggesting that more inbred male red wolves could have faster sperm. These results indicate that inbreeding affects functionally important aspects of sperm morphometry, but that these effects may not be entirely negative.

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Effect of Spectrum Tail Length on Modulational Instability and Freak Wave Occurrence in JONSWAP Sea States

Volume 3: Structures, Safety, and Reliability ◽

10.1115/omae2019-95740 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Cagil Kirezci ◽

Alexander V. Babanin

Keyword(s):

High Frequency ◽

Modulational Instability ◽

Wave Spectrum ◽

Tail Length ◽

Shape Parameters ◽

Extreme Wave ◽

Freak Wave ◽

Nonlinear Phase ◽

Wave Forecasting ◽

Quantitative Indicators

Abstract In this study, probability of freak wave occurrence due to modulational instability in JONSWAP sea states are investigated. This investigation has been conducted based on the quantitative indicators of instability in wave spectrum, which are two Benjamin-Feir index (BFI) [1,2] with different spectral bandwidth definitions and Π number [3]. Evolution of wave field are simulated using fully nonlinear phase-resolving Chalikov-Sheinin (CS) numerical model [4,5]. Initial sea surface is controlled with JONSWAP shape parameters (α and γ) and random initial phases. Effect of high frequency end of spectrum on modulational instability and freak wave evolution are discussed by considering 4 different tail lengths. According to simulation results, all parameters that are considered here perform as an indicator for the occurrence of extreme events which makes it possible to define a certain interval for indicators, where freak wave occurrence probability is the highest and potentially dangerous, to be possibly used in extreme wave forecasting. Another key finding is that, modulational instability increases when high frequency part of spectrum is present (longer tail) as expected. Nevertheless, after certain nonlinearity, modulational instability is more prone to result in breaking which significantly decreases the probability of occurrence of freak events. Therefore, spectra with shorter tail length result in more dangerous sea states.

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Redescription of an enigmatic salamander, Pseudohynobius puxiongensis (Fei et Ye, 2000) (Urodela: Hynobiidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2919.1.3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2919 (1) ◽

pp. 51 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

JIAN-LI XIONG ◽

HAI-JUN GU ◽

TIAN-JIAN GONG ◽

XIAO-MAO ZENG

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

New Genus ◽

Tail Length ◽

Biological Data ◽

Breeding Habitat ◽

Width Ratio ◽

Head Width ◽

Single Specimen ◽

Moderate Number ◽

Variable Character

Protohynobius puxiongensis Fei et Ye, 2000, a poorly known hynobiid, was described from a single specimen. The new genus was erected because of its peculiar internasal bone. Recent molecular investigations transferred the species to genus Pseudohynobius and presence of the internasal bone was shown to be a variable character. Taxonomically this species is relatively poorly known with no descriptions of egg, larvae, habitat, and other biological data. Furthermore, the extent of adult variation is unknown. We describe features of the adult, larvae, egg sacs, karyotype, breeding habitat and habits. The species is characterized by the following features: dorsal color gray-yellow with yellowish spots; dorsal tail with distinct yellowish line; total length shortest in the genus; tail length shorter than snout-vent length; head length to head width ratio smaller than 1.53; and a moderate number of vomerine teeth (11–15). The karyotype and the breeding season of Ps. puxiongensis are similar to that of other species of the genus.

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Thermic Variation in Incubation and Development of Pantanal Caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) (Daudin, 1802) Kept in Metabolic Box

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology ◽

10.1590/s1516-89132002000300012 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 333-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maristela Parra Miranda ◽

Gentil Vanini de Moraes ◽

Elias Nunes Martins ◽

Luis Carlos Pinto Maia ◽

Orlando Rus Barbosa

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Tail Length ◽

Head Length ◽

Head Width ◽

Snout Length ◽

Temperature Range ◽

Caiman Crocodilus ◽

Total Length

Thirty-two eggs of Pantanal caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) (Daudin, 1802) were incubated at 30° C. After 20 days of incubation at 30° C, the remaining eggs were distributed in the following way: seven at 34° C, seven at 32° C, six at 30° C and six at 28° C. At 32° C and 34° C a 100% hatchability was obtained while at 30° C 83.3% and at 28° C 66.6%. After hatching, the animals were kept for 120 days at the same temperature of their final incubation. Weight (g) control and morphometric (cm) analysis were carried out. The statistic design was totally randomized and the data were treated by regression analysis showing a quadratic behavior ( p<0.05). It was found that weight, total length (TTL), tail length (TL), snout- vent length (SVL), head length (HL), eye length (EL), snout length (SL), mid-point snout width (MSW), head width (HW), width of snout at nostrils (NW), distance between limbs (DBL) showed a higher development at the temperature range from 31.2° C to 31.8° C and circumference of belly at 30.0° C.

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Novelty and emergent patterns in sperm: morphological diversity and evolution of spermatozoa and sperm conjugation in ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

10.1101/809863 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

R. Antonio Gomez ◽

David R. Maddison

Keyword(s):

Ground Beetle ◽

Morphological Diversity ◽

Ground Beetles ◽

Head Width ◽

Phenotypic Traits ◽

Sperm Length ◽

List Type ◽

History Of ◽

Morphological Differences ◽

Patterns And Processes

1.AbstractThe beetle family Carabidae, with about 40,000 species, exhibits enough diversity in sperm structure and behavior to be an excellent model system for studying patterns and processes of sperm evolution. We explore their potential, documenting sperm form in 177 species of ground beetles and collecting data on 1 qualitative and 7 quantitative sperm phenotypic traits. Our sampling captures 61% of the tribal-level diversity of ground beetles. These data highlight the notable morphological diversity of sperm in ground beetles and suggest that sperm in the group have dynamic evolutionary histories with much morphological innovation and convergence. Sperm vary among species in total length from 48-3,400μm and in length and width of the sperm head. Most ground beetles make filamentous sperm with visually indistinct heads, but some or all studied members of the genus Omophron, genus Trachypachus, and tribe Dyschiriini make broad-headed sperm that show morphological differences between species. Most ground beetles package their sperm into groups of sperm, termed conjugates, and ground beetles show variation in conjugate form and in the number and arrangement of sperm in a conjugate. Most ground beetles make sperm conjugates by embedding their sperm in a non-cellular rod or spermatostyle, but some Trechitae make conjugates without a spermatostyle. The spermatostyle is remarkably variable among species and varies in length from 17-41,000μm. Several unrelated groups of ground beetles make only singleton sperm, including Nebriinae, Cicindelinae, many Trechinae, and the tribe Paussini. Given current views about ground beetle relationships, we propose preliminary hypotheses on ground beetle sperm diversification. We hypothesize that spermatostyle and conjugate traits evolve faster than sperm traits and that head width evolves more slowly than head length and sperm length. We propose that conjugation with a spermatostyle evolved early within the history of Carabidae and that it has been lost independently at least three times.Research highlightsGround beetle sperm is morphologically diverse.Most species make sperm conjugates with a spermatostyle, and there is variation in sperm, spermatostyles, and conjugates.Sperm have dynamic evolutionary histories.

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The effects of genotype and week of lactation on milk yield, udder dimensions and linear body measurements of non-dairy ewes

Nigerian Journal of Animal Production ◽

10.51791/njap.v38i2.2787 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 9-17

Author(s):

O. O. Adewumi ◽

C. A. Chineke ◽

J. A. Alokan ◽

I. J. James ◽

O. A. Akinola

Keyword(s):

Milk Yield ◽

Tail Length ◽

West African ◽

Head Width ◽

Body Measurements ◽

Leg Length ◽

West African Dwarf ◽

Face Length ◽

Daily Milk Yield ◽

Linear Body

One hundred and ninety two records were taken weekly for twenty four (24) weeks from West African Dwarf (WD), the Yankasa (YN) and the West African Dwarf X Yankasa crossbred (XB) sheep. The traits evaluated were milk yield (MK), linear body measurements (LB) such as height at withers, (HT), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), shoulder width (SW), Tail length (TA), Neck length (NL), Neck circumference (NC), Face length (FA), Hind leg length (HL), Foreleg length (FL), Face length (FA), Ear length (EA), Head width (HW) and Rump height (RH) together with the following Udder dimensions (UD): Udder circumference (UC), Teat length (TL) and Teat circumference (TC). There was significant (P<0.05) influence of genotype on MK, WHT, HT, BL, TA, FL, HL, FA, EA and RH. The WD ewes produced more milk than either the YN or XB enes. Average daily milk yield (ml) was 122.25, 90.88 ana 108.8. The YN genotype was superior in all LBs except SW and NC than the WD and XB in the three genotypes. Height at withers was 59.08, 69.21 and 61.81 cm; BL 48.54, 55.08 and 54.49 cm and RH 62.88, 75.11 and 68.46 cm for WD, YN and XB enes respectively. Since milk offtake is related to body weight and some linear body measurements, selection for WT, HG, SW, NL NC, UC and TL in WD ewes could lead to higher milk and mutton production.

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