Figure 5 - uploaded by Kevin M Gribbins
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An elongating spermatid nearing the climax of elongation in the seminiferous epithelium of Pelamis platurus. The acrosomal complex and apical nucleus is on display in sagittal section (A,E) and with represented cross sections through the letters B,C,D,F,G. All of the major parts of this complex that are found in the typical ophidian spermatozoa are present. Ac, acrosomal complex; Ma, manchette; Av, acrosomal vesicle; black arrowhead and Pe, perforatorium; Sa, subascrosomal space; Ar, acrosomal lucent zone; Sm, Sertoli cell membrane laminae; white arrow and EP, epinuclear lucent zone; Nr, nuclear rostrum; Bp, basal plate; white arrowhead, nuclear lacuna. Bars D 1 mm.
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Little is known about spermatid development during spermiogenesis in snakes, as there is only one complete study in ophidians, which details the spermatid ultrastructure within the viperid, Agkistrodon piscivorus. Thus, the following study will add to our understanding of the ontogenic steps of spermiogenesis in snakes by examining spermatid matura...
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Citations
... The spermatozoa of M. corallinus have three regions: head, midpiece, and tail, which is similar to that described in other reptiles (Oliver et al. 1996). The sperm morphology of elapid snakes has been poorly studied (Oliver et al. 1996;Gribbins et al. 2016) and for Micrurus, sperm morphology has been described only in M. fulvius (Austin 1965). Therefore, this is the first paper describing the sperm morphology of M. corallinus. ...
The Painted Coral Snake Micrurus corallinus is one of the Brazilian species kept in captivity to obtain venom for antivenom production. Difficulties in establishing a sizeable breeding colony make it necessary to find alternatives that increase the reproductive efficiency of captive individuals. Here, we tested a semen collection protocol and characterize the seminal parameters of captive M. corallinus. We collected semen during the mating season of the species (spring-summer) and were successful at every first attempt. Spermatozoa of M. corallinus are elongated and filiform, and the midpiece is the longest part. Sperm motility and progressive motility reached values of 80% and 3.6%, respectively, during the reproductive period of this species. Our results will allow further studies to improve husbandry, reproductive rates, and conservation of captive M. corallinus.
... The spermatozoa of M. corallinus have three regions: head, midpiece, and tail, which is similar to that described in other reptiles (Oliver et al. 1996). The sperm morphology of elapid snakes has been poorly studied (Oliver et al. 1996;Gribbins et al. 2016) and for Micrurus, sperm morphology has been described only in M. fulvius (Austin 1965). Therefore, this is the first paper describing the sperm morphology of M. corallinus. ...
The Painted Coral Snake Micrurus corallinus is one of the Brazilian species kept in captivity to obtain
venom for antivenom production. Difficulties in establishing a sizeable breeding colony make it necessary to find
alternatives that increase the reproductive efficiency of captive individuals. Here, we tested a semen collection
protocol and characterize the seminal parameters of captive M. corallinus. We collected semen during the mating
season of the species (spring-summer) and were successful at every first attempt. Spermatozoa of M. corallinus
are elongated and filiform, and the midpiece is the longest part. Sperm motility and progressive motility reached
values of 80% and 3.6%, respectively, during the reproductive period of this species. Our results will allow further
studies to improve husbandry, reproductive rates, and conservation of captive M. corallinus.
... One of these approaches is the ultrastructural study of the morphological variability of spermatozoa (Oliver et al. 1996;Tavares-Bastos et al. 2002;Tourmente et al. 2006;Rheubert et al. 2010;Gribbins et al. 2016), which can be applied to a reproductive perspective of sperm competition and storage (Vieira et al. 2004;Cunha et al. 2008). The size of the spermatozoa may indicate levels of sperm competition (Tourmente et al. 2009). ...
... Snake ultrastructural spermatozoa studies have produced data on the families Colubridae, Pythonidae (Jamieson & Koehler 1994;Oliver et al. 1996), Viperidae (Al-Dokhi 2004), Typhlopidae (Harding et al. 1995), and Boidae ). However, a few studies were dedicated to describe the spermatozoa of some Elapidae (Oliver et al. 1996;Gribbins et al. 2016) and the neotropical Elapidae remains completely unknown. ...
Reproduction in snakes employs a wide range of mechanisms such as long-term sperm storage, mating aggregations and male–male combat. These varied mechanisms can be better understood when combined with the study of the ultrastructural morphological variability of spermatozoa. Within the coral snakes, genus Micrurus, there are differences in the reproductive strategies adopted between monads (BRM) and triads (BRT); the aim of this work was to relate these two strategies to morphological differences among spermatozoa within different species. The semen of six Micrurus was collected using a non-invasive technique, fixed and processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Micrurus spermatozoa have the same ultrastructure as those of other snake species, comprising the head, divided into acrosome, nucleus and neck; the midpiece; and the two parts of the tail, the principal piece and the end piece. Micrurus corallinus and Micrurus surinamensis presented evident multilaminar membranes occurring along all the pieces, while Micrurus frontalis and Micrurus altirostris showed cytoplasmic droplets occurring mainly in the midpiece. The differences found in spermatozoa morphology may be related with sperm storage in these four coral snakes, since the development of multilaminar membranes in the midpiece and the maintenance of cytoplasmic droplets in the mature sperm are both features related to extra energy provision for the spermatozoa while stored.
... One of these approaches is the ultrastructural study of the morphological variability of spermatozoa (Oliver et al. 1996;Tavares-Bastos et al. 2002;Tourmente et al. 2006;Rheubert et al. 2010;Gribbins et al. 2016), which can be applied to a reproductive perspective of sperm competition and storage (Vieira et al. 2004;Cunha et al. 2008). The size of the spermatozoa may indicate levels of sperm competition (Tourmente et al. 2009). ...
... Snake ultrastructural spermatozoa studies have produced data on the families Colubridae, Pythonidae (Jamieson & Koehler 1994;Oliver et al. 1996), Viperidae (Al-Dokhi 2004), Typhlopidae (Harding et al. 1995), and Boidae ). However, a few studies were dedicated to describe the spermatozoa of some Elapidae (Oliver et al. 1996;Gribbins et al. 2016) and the neotropical Elapidae remains completely unknown. ...
Reproduction in snakes employs a wide range of mechanisms such as long-term sperm storage, mating aggregations and male-male combat. These varied mechanisms can be better understood when combined with the study of the ultrastructural morphological variability of spermatozoa. Within the coral snakes, genus Micrurus, there are differences in the reproductive strategies adopted between monads (BRM) and triads (BRT); the aim of this work was to relate these two strategies to morphological differences among spermatozoa within different species. The semen of six Micrurus was collected using a non-invasive technique, fixed and processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Micrurus spermatozoa have the same ultrastructure as those of other snake species, comprising the head, divided into acrosome, nucleus and neck; the midpiece; and the two parts of the tail, the principal piece and the end piece. Micrurus corallinus and Micrurus surinamensis presented evident multilaminar membranes occurring along all the pieces, while Micrurus frontalis and Micrurus altirostris showed cytoplasmic droplets occurring mainly in the midpiece. The differences found in spermatozoa morphology may be related with sperm storage in these four coral snakes, since the development of multilaminar membranes in the midpiece and the maintenance of cytoplasmic droplets in the mature sperm are both features related to extra energy provision for the spermatozoa while stored.
