The ultrastructure of normal human cilia and flagella was examined and quantitatively assessed to determine the normal variations in the structure of the axoneme. Ciliated respiratory epithelial cells and spermatozoa from 10 normal, nonsmoking male volunteers who had normal semen parameters were fixed for electron microscopy. Tannic acid and MgSO4 were included during fixation to enhance, in particular, axonemal components. In 75 axonemal cross sections per sample, the number of outer doublet and central singlet microtubules, outer and inner dynein arms, and radial spokes were recorded. Statistical analysis of the results showed a marked reduction, from the expected value of nine, in the numbers of inner dynein arms (mean +/- SE, cilia, 5.31 +/- 0.13; sperm, 5.38 +/- 0.16) and radial spokes (cilia, 4.95 +/- 0.22; sperm, 5.80 +/- 0.19). The ideal axoneme with all its structural components was seen in only 0.13% of cilia and 0.80% of sperm tails. Significantly more doublet microtubules (P less than 0.05) and less central microtubules (P less than 0.01) and radial spokes (P less than 0.01) were seen in cilia than in sperm tail axonemes. Between subjects there was little variation in the mean number of a structure seen per axoneme. However, within each sample, the variation was considerably higher, particularly for the inner and outer dynein arms and radial spokes. The doublet microtubules had significantly greater standard deviations in the sperm tails compared with the cilia (P less than 0.01), and furthermore, a significantly greater number of sperm tails compared with cilia showed the incorrect number of doublet microtubules (P less than 0.02). In one semen sample, with normal semen analysis, 20% of the sperm tails showed incorrect numbers of doublet microtubules, ranging from 12 + 2 to 5 + 2 compared with only 1.3% in cilia from this subject. This study has demonstrated that the ideal axoneme is rarely seen even in normal samples, probably because of the technical difficulties in resolution and visualization, and stresses the need for thorough documentation of axonemal ultrastructure. This work provides a normal data base for comparison with patients who have chronic respiratory disease and suspected infertility.
L J Wilton, H Teichtahl, P D Temple-Smith, D M de Kretser
Title and authors | Publication | Year |
---|---|---|
Microtubular Dysfunction and Male Infertility
S Gunes, P Sengupta, R Henkel, A Alguraigari, MM Sinigaglia, M Kayal, A Joumah, A Agarwal |
The World Journal of Men's Health | 2020 |
Methods in Enzymology
JD Stone, AS Chervin, DH Aggen, DM Kranz |
Protein Engineering for Therapeutics Part B | 2012 |
Spermatogenesis
DT Carrell, KI Aston |
Spermatogenesis | 2012 |
Morphological sperm defects analyzed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and their correlation with sperm motility
V Visco, S Raffa, J Elia, M Delfino, N Imbrogno, MR Torrisi, F Mazzilli |
International Journal of Urology | 2010 |
Production of transgenic mice by random recombination of targeted genes in female germline stem cells
Y Zhang, Z Yang, Y Yang, S Wang, L Shi, W Xie, K Sun, K Zou, L Wang, J Xiong, J Xiang, J Wu |
Journal of Molecular Cell Biology | 2010 |
Heterotaxy and complex structural heart defects in a mutant mouse model of primary ciliary dyskinesia
Serena Y. Tan, Julie Rosenthal, Xiao-Qing Zhao, Richard J. Francis, Bishwanath Chatterjee, Steven L. Sabol, Kaari L. Linask, Luciann Bracero, Patricia S. Connelly, Mathew P. Daniels, Qing Yu, Heymut Omran, Linda Leatherbury, and Cecilia W. Lo |
Journal of Clinical Investigation | 2007 |
Utrastructural analysis of asthenozoospermic ejaculates in the era of assisted procreation
S Francavilla, F Pelliccione, G Cordeschi, S Necozione, R Santucci, M Bocchio, R Mihalca, F Ciociola, F Francavilla |
Fertility and Sterility | 2006 |
Clinical characteristics and light and transmission electron microscopic sperm defects of infertile men with persistent unexplained asthenozoospermia
M Courtade, C Lagorce, L Bujan, C Caratero, R Mieusset |
Fertility and Sterility | 1998 |
Tannic Acid Supplemented Fixation Improves Ultrastructural Evaluation of Respiratory Epithelium in Children with Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections
EA Valletta, M Bertini, A Sbarbati |
Biotechnic & Histochemistry | 1996 |
The axonemal ultrastructure of spermatozoa from men with asthenospermia**Supported by a project grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
AD Hancock, DM de Kretser |
Fertility and Sterility | 1992 |
Late postnatal development and differentiation of the ductus epididymidis in a dasyurid marsupial (Antechinus stuartii)
DA Taggart, PD Temple-Smith |
Anatomy and Embryology | 1992 |
Anomalies of Centriolar Derivatives Manifest in Spermatic Flagella and Respiratory Cilia of the Stallion
F Hrudka, JM Betsch, RM Kenney |
Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine | 1991 |
Young’s syndrome (obstructive azoospermia and chronic sinobronchial infection): a quantitative study of axonemal ultrastructure and function**Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Canberra, Australia; and by the Monash University Special Research Fund, Clayton, Australia
LJ Wilton, H Teichtahl, PD Temple-Smith, JL Johnson, GJ Southwick, HG Burger, DM de Kretser |
Fertility and Sterility | 1991 |
Extreme asthenozoospermia and chronic respiratory disease: a new variant of the immotile cilia syndrome
HE Chemes, JL Morero, JC Lavieri |
International Journal of Andrology | 1990 |
Assessment of the human sperm acrosome reaction using concanavalin a lectin
CA Holden, RV Hyne, AH Sathananthan, AO Trounson |
Molecular Reproduction and Development | 1990 |
Dissimilar Expression of Axonemal Anomalies in Respiratory Cilia and Sperm Flagella in Infertile Men
E Escudier, D Escalier, MC Pinchon, M Boucherat, JF Bernaudin, J Fleury-Feith |
American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine | 1990 |
Utilization of digital image processing to study dynein arms (ATPase) in normal and immotile cilia
JR Kennedy, JR Dunlap, RD Bunn, DF Edwards |
Journal of Electron Microscopy Technique | 1988 |
Human male infertility caused by degeneration and death of sperm in the epididymis**Supported by a project grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
LJ Wilton, PD Temple-Smith, HW Baker, DM de Kretser |
Fertility and Sterility | 1988 |
Obstructive azoospermia and chronic sinobronchial disease (Young’s syndrome) in identical twins**Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
H Teichtahl, PD Temple-Smith, JL Johnson, GJ Southwick, DM de Kretser |
Fertility and Sterility | 1987 |