Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry Priciples for Free Access to Science
  Search:   
    >> Advanced Search

Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kan, F. W.
Right arrow Articles by Lin, Y.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kan, F. W.
Right arrow Articles by Lin, Y.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

Topographical distribution of phospholipids in boar sperm plasma and intracellular membranes as revealed by freeze-fracture cytochemistry

FW Kan and Y Lin

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

We used fracture-label and label-fracture cytochemistry in conjunction with the phospholipase A2-colloidal gold (PLA2-CG) technique to study the distribution of phospholipids in ejaculated boar spermatozoa. These techniques provide visualization of the topographical distribution of phospholipids in freeze-fractured sperm membranes in a three- dimensional view. In various freeze-fractured boar sperm membranes and crossfractured cytoplasmic structures, quantitative analysis revealed that the nuclear envelope membranes and the nuclear content possessed the highest labeling density of PLA2-CG. Moderate labeling was detected over acrosomal membranes, especially the inner acrosomal membrane. Replicas of both protoplasmic and exoplasmic fracture faces of the plasma membrane of boar sperm head showed a relatively low density of PLA2-CG labeling. Moreover, a differential distribution of phospholipids was seen over the protoplasmic face of the plasma membrane domains of the sperm head, which showed the highest concentration of gold particles in the postacrosomal region, followed by the equatorial segment and the anterior acrosome region. The PLA2-CG labeling densities over the post-acrosomal region and the equatorial segment were significantly higher than that over the anterior acrosome region. In the flagellum, an intense labeling was also seen over crossfractured mitochondria, dense fibers, and fibrous sheath. The protoplasmic fracture face of the plasma membrane over the middle piece, the annulus, and the principal piece was moderately labeled by PLA2-CG. No significant difference in mean labeling density of PLA2-CG was detected among the three membrane domains. In label-fracture preparations, exoplasmic halves of the plasma membrane of the head and the middle piece of the tail were uniformly labeled with PLA2-CG. However, the annulus and principal piece were devoid of PLA2-CG binding sites. These results indicate that differential distribution of phospholipids associated with the boar sperm membranes may reflect phospholipid composition of membrane domains characteristic of special physiological functions.

Volume 44, Issue 7, pp. 687-701, 07/01/1996
Copyright © 1996 by The Histochemical Society


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?





Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact
The Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry is owned, published, and licensed by The Histochemical Society © 1996