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Sperm dysfunction in sex ratio males of Drosophila subobscura

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Drosophila subobscura has 128 spermatids per cyst, enclosed by two cyst cells. At beginning of elongation in control males the spermatid nuclei surround the head cyst cell nucleus, in sex ratio males nuclei are found throughout the cyst. Spermatid nuclei can elongate in any position in the cyst. Nuclei can be eliminated during individualization or degenerate after individualization. The number of sperm in any wrong position in the cyst varies in control males from 0 to about ten, in sex ratio males from 0 to more than 50. Two cyst sizes are distinguishable. At beginning of elongation small cysts have homogeneously stained spherical nuclei which later on are rod like. Large cysts have granulated nuclei which at first become spindle shaped and then slender. The length of the DNA containing part of elongated sperm heads of the long class is about 33 μm in sex ratio and control males. The small sperm heads are 15 μm in sex ratio but 20 μm in control males. The complete DNA-containing-sperm-length is about 10% less in short sperm and 5% less in long sperm of sex ratio males than in those of control. Sex ratio males have more cysts per testis than control males. In sex ratio we counted 53.8%, in control males 49.4% short cysts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, U.S.A.

    E. Hauschteck-Jungen & B. Maurer

  2. Strahlenbiologisches Institut der Universitaet Zuerich, August Forelstrasse 7, 8029, Zürich, Switzerland

    E. Hauschteck-Jungen & B. Maurer

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  1. E. Hauschteck-Jungen
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  2. B. Maurer
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The work was supported by the grants N.S.F. GB-43209 and NIH GM 21732 and the “Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Foerderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung” grant Nr. 3.815.72.

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Hauschteck-Jungen, E., Maurer, B. Sperm dysfunction in sex ratio males of Drosophila subobscura . Genetica 46, 459–477 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00128092

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