Summary
The manchette or caudal tube has been examined in Stage 14 rat spermatids. The microtubules of the caudal tube have been found to be partially sheathed by smooth endoplasmic reticulum which appears to be continuous with the outer nuclear membrane of the redundant nuclear envelope. The microtubules in caudal regions of the manchette have been noted to be interconnected by links of unusual size and morphology. It is suggested that the caudal tube consists at this stage of development of two structures, membrane and microtubules and that the links between the microtubules appear to play a role in the structural order noted in the position of the tubules of the manchette. The possible significance of these links in relation to motility is discussed.
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Supported by a grant to E. A. MacKinnon by the Medical Research Council of Canada.
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MacKinnon, E.A., Abraham, J.P. The manchette in Stage 14 rat spermatids: A possible structural relationship with the redundant nuclear envelope. Z. Zellforsch. 124, 1–11 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335450
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335450