Behavior of ACRBP-deficient mouse sperm in the female reproductive tract

  • NAGASHIMA Kiyoshi
    Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
  • USUI Tomoyuki
    Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
  • BABA Tadashi
    Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan

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Abstract

<p> Gene-knockout mice lacking ACRBP, a proacrosin-binding protein localized in the acrosome of sperm, have been shown to exhibit male subfertility, owing to abnormal formation of the acrosome. In this study, to elucidate the mechanism contributing to the subfertility phenotype, we examined the behavior of ACRBP-deficient mouse sperm in the female reproductive tract. When sperm that had migrated into the uterus and oviduct after mating were counted, the number of ACRBP-deficient sperm was noticeably smaller in the oviduct of mice post mating. However, ACRBP-deficient sperm recovered from the oviduct possessed morphologically normal head shape and retained normal motility. Importantly, ACRBP-deficient sperm displayed a marked reduction in the ability to successfully gain access to unfertilized oocytes. These data suggest that male subfertility of ACRBP-deficient mice may be attributed to incompleteness of the acrosome reaction rather than impairment in sperm migration from the uterus to the oviduct.</p>

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