Analysis of Human and Chimpanzee Sperm Swimming Speed in Laser Trapping Experiments

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Tam ◽  
Jaclyn M. Nascimento ◽  
Linda Z. Shi ◽  
Michael W. Berns
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Laser Trapping ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

scholarly journals Do the fastest sperm within an ejaculate swim faster in subordinate than in dominant males of Arctic char?

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 1019-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Vaz Serrano ◽  
Ivar Folstad ◽  
Geir Rudolfsen ◽  
Lars Figenschou
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sperm Cells ◽  
Sperm Velocity ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Theoretical models predict that subordinate males should have higher sperm velocity to compensate for their disadvantaged mating role and because they experience sperm competition more frequently than dominant males. Differences in mean velocity between sperm of dominants and subordinates in the predicted direction are also documented for a few species, including the Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus (L., 1758). Yet, this difference in mean velocity does not imply that the fastest sperm within an ejaculate, which are those most likely to fertilize eggs, swim faster in subordinates than in dominants. We studied the 5% and 10% fastest sperm cells in ejaculates of dominant and subordinate Arctic char. Before individuals attained their status, there were no differences in velocity between the fastest sperm of males that later became dominant or subordinate. Yet, after establishment of social position, subordinates showed significantly higher sperm swimming speed of the fastest cells in the first 30 s post activation (i.e., at 15, 20, and 30 s post activation). Males that became subordinates showed no change in sperm speed of the fast cells compared with those at pre-trial levels, whereas males that became dominant reduced the speed of their sperm (15 s post activation) compared with those at pre-trial levels. Our results suggest that males which attain social dominance are unable to maintain high sperm velocity, even among the small fraction of the fastest cells.

Author response for "Ovarian fluid proteome variation associates with sperm swimming speed in an externally fertilising fish"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheri L. Johnson ◽  
Kirill Borziak ◽  
Torsten Kleffmann ◽  
Patrice Rosengrave ◽  
Steve Dorus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Author Response ◽  
Ovarian Fluid ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Sperm traits in Chinook salmon depend upon activation medium: implications for studies of sperm competition in fishes

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (10) ◽  
pp. 920-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Rosengrave ◽  
R. Montgomerie ◽  
V. J. Metcalf ◽  
K. McBride ◽  
N. J. Gemmell
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Salt Water ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Ovarian Fluid ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed ◽  
Sperm Traits

Sperm traits of externally fertilizing fish species are typically measured in fresh (or salt) water, even though the spawning environment of their ova contains ovarian fluid. In this study, we measured sperm traits of Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) in both fresh water and dilute ovarian fluid at 10 and 20 s postactivation, using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. Spermatozoa swam faster, and had both higher percent motility and a straighter path trajectory for a longer period of forward motility when activated in ovarian fluid compared with activation in fresh water. Comparing sperm activity of 10 males in water versus ovarian fluid, we found a weak but significant correlation for sperm swimming speed at 10 s postactivation (r = 0.34, p = 0.01), but not for any other sperm traits measured. Most important, across males, mean sperm swimming speed in water accounted for <10% of the observed variation in mean sperm swimming speed in ovarian fluid. Thus, we argue that sperm traits measured in fresh water are not particularly relevant to those same traits during normal spawning in this species. We suggest that sperm performance measured in fresh water should be used with caution when comparing the potential for individual males to fertilize ova, especially in studies of sperm competition in externally fertilizing species.

Reduced sperm performance in backcross hybrids between species pairs of whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (7) ◽  
pp. 566-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Whiteley ◽  
K. N. Persaud ◽  
N. Derome ◽  
R. Montgomerie ◽  
L. Bernatchez
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
F1 Hybrids ◽  
Coregonus Clupeaformis ◽  
External Fertilization ◽  
Isolating Mechanisms ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Backcross Hybrids ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Previous work has demonstrated that genomic incompatibilities work together with ecologically divergent selection to promote and maintain reproductive isolation between incipient species (dwarf and normal) of lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill, 1818)). Whitefish spawn in groups with external fertilization, which creates conditions for strong sperm competition. In this study, we asked whether reduced sperm performance in hybrids from whitefish species-pair matings might contribute to postzygotic isolating mechanisms between these taxa. We examined two sperm traits, sperm swimming speed and flagellum length, in pure dwarf and normal whitefish and in their F1 and backcross hybrids. We observed significantly reduced sperm swimming speed in backcross but not in F1 hybrids. Sperm flagellum length was not significantly correlated with sperm swimming speed. These results demonstrate that F1 hybrids formed in nature should be capable of the same fertilization success as the parental species during sperm competition, everything else being equal. However, reduced sperm performance in the backcross generation is consistent with other evidence suggesting that genomic incompatibilities create a range of negative fitness effects in post-F1 whitefish hybrids and provides evidence for an additional postzygotic isolation mechanism involved in the incipient speciation of sympatric dwarf and normal whitefish.

scholarly journals Sperm traits and male fertility in natural populations

Reproduction ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Montserrat Gomendio ◽  
Aurelio F Malo ◽  
Julian Garde ◽  
Eduardo R S Roldan
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Male Fertility ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Antler Size ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed

Male fertility has seldom been studied in natural populations because it has been assumed that strong selection would result in uniformly high values among males, and therefore mating success has been equated with fertilisation success. In contrast, male fertility has received much attention in studies of domestic livestock, where economic benefits rely on improving productivity, and in human infertility studies, where the efficiency of treatments depends on understanding which ejaculate traits explain reproductive failures and predict success at assisted conception. Despite years of efforts, no conclusive results have been obtained, probably because such studies have focused on opposite extremes of the range with little variation: domestic livestock have often been subject to strong artificial selection for high fertility, and human patients requiring treatment have compromised fertility. Recent findings from natural populations of red deer have shown that males differ markedly in their fertility, and have revealed the degree of variation found in different semen traits, both between and within males. Fertility trials have shown that male fertility is determined mainly by sperm swimming speed and the proportion of normal sperm, when sperm numbers are kept constant. Sperm design exerts a strong influence on sperm swimming speed, with faster swimming sperm having elongated heads, shorter midpieces and a longer principal plus terminal pieces in relation to total flagellum length. Thus, the large inter-male variation in sperm design found among natural populations underlies differences in sperm swimming speed which, in turn, determine differences in male fertility rates. Secondary sexual characters are honest indicators of male fertility, so males with large and elaborated antlers have larger testes and faster swimming sperm. Testosterone does not seem to mediate the relationship between antler size and semen quality, since it is associated with sperm production, but not with sperm quality or antler size. Finally, more fertile males produce a greater proportion of sons, who will inherit the semen traits which will enhance their fertility.

scholarly journals Sperm competition differentially affects swimming velocity and size of spermatozoa from closely related muroid rodents: head first

Reproduction ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Gómez Montoto ◽  
María Varea Sánchez ◽  
Maximiliano Tourmente ◽  
Juan Martín-Coello ◽  
Juan José Luque-Larena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Sperm Head ◽  
Swimming Velocity ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Muroid Rodents ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed ◽  
Sperm Size ◽  
Head Area

Sperm competition favours an increase in sperm swimming velocity that maximises the chances that sperm will reach the ova before rival sperm and fertilise. Comparative studies have shown that the increase in sperm swimming speed is associated with an increase in total sperm size. However, it is not known which are the first evolutionary steps that lead to increases in sperm swimming velocity. Using a group of closely related muroid rodents that differ in levels of sperm competition, we here test the hypothesis that subtle changes in sperm design may represent early evolutionary changes that could make sperm swim faster. Our findings show that as sperm competition increases so does sperm swimming speed. Sperm swimming velocity is associated with the size of all sperm components. However, levels of sperm competition are only related to an increase in sperm head area. Such increase is a consequence of an increase in the length of the sperm head, and also of the presence of an apical hook in some of the species studied. These findings suggest that the presence of a hook may modify the sperm head in such a way that would help sperm swim faster and may also be advantageous if sperm with larger heads are better able to attach to the epithelial cells lining the lower isthmus of the oviduct where sperm remain quiescent before the final race to reach the site of fertilisation.

The value of sperm swimming speed measurements in assessing the fertility of human frozen semen

1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.V. Holt ◽  
F. Shenfield ◽  
T. Leonard ◽  
T. D. Hartman ◽  
R. D. North ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Frozen Semen ◽  
Sperm Swimming Speed
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