Summary
A monoclonal antibody (MC41) was produced that specifically recognizes a sperm acrosomal antigen of approximately 165000 dalton in the rat. Rat testis was examined using a pre-embedding immunoperoxidase technique to reveal the pathway of the MC41 antigen to the acrosome during spermiogenesis. The MC41 immunoreaction appeared in several organelles of spermatids in a stage-specific manner: (1) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) throughout spermiogenesis, (2) in the outer acrosomal membrane from steps 9 to 19, (3) as a weak immunoreaction in the vesicular structures in the acrosomal matrix from steps 11 to 17, and (4) as a strong immunoreaction in the acrosomal matrix especially at the terminal step of spermiogenesis (step 19). However, no immunoreaction was observed in the Golgi region throughout spermiogenesis. These results suggest that the pathway of the MC41 antigen leads firstly from the ER to the outer acrosomal membrane and secondly to the acrosomal matrix. This pathway does not involve the Golgi apparatus and is referred to as the “extra-Golgi pathway”.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allison AC, Hartree EF (1970) Lysosomal enzymes in the acrosome and their possible role in fertilization. J Reprod Fertil 21:501–515
Anakwe OO, Gerton GL (1990) Acrosome biogenesis begins during meiosis: evidence from the synthesis and distribution of an acrosomal glycoprotein, acrogranin, during guinea pig spermatogenesis. Biol Reprod 42:317–328
Arboleda CE, Gerton GL (1988) Proacrosin/acrosin during guinea pig spermatogenesis. Dev Biol 125:217–225
Bozzola JJ, Polakoski K, Haas N, Russell LD, Campbell P, Peterson RN (1991) Localization of boar sperm proacrosin during spermatogenesis and long sperm maturation in the epididymis. Am J Anat 192:129–141
Burgos MH, Fawcett DW (1955) Studies on the fine structure of the mammalian testis. J Biophy Biochem Cytol 1:287–315
Clermont Y, Leblond CP (1955) Spermiogenesis of man, monkey, ram and other mammals as shown by the periodic acid-schiff technique. Am J Anat 96:229–250
Clermont Y, Rambourg A (1978) Evolution of the endoplasmic reticulum during rat spermiogenesis. Am J Anat 151:191–212
Clermont Y, Tang XM (1985) Glycoprotein synthesis in the Golgi apparatus of spermatids during spermiogenesis of the rat. Anat Rec 213:33–43
Clermont Y, Lalli M, Rambourg A (1981) Ultrastructural localization of nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide phosphatase (NADPase), thiamine pyrophosphatase (TTPase), and cytidine monophosphatase (CMPase) in the Golgi apparatus of early spermatids of the rat. Anat Rec 201:613–622
Dresser DW (1978) Assays for immunoglobulin-secreting cells. In: Weir DM (ed) Handbook of experimental immunology, 3rd ed, chap. 28. Blackwell, Oxford
Eddy EM (1988) The spermatozoon. In: Knobil E, Neil J (eds) The physiology of reproduction. Raven Press, New York, pp 27–68
Fawcett DW (1975) Morphogenesis of the mammalian sperm acrosome in new perspective. In: Afzelius BA (ed) The functional anatomy of the spermatozoon. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 199–210
Fawcett DW, Hollenberg RD (1963) Changes in the acrosome of guinea pig spermatozoa during passage through the epididymis. Z Zellforsch 60:276–292
Gerton GL, O'Brien DA, Eddy EM (1988) Antigens recognized by monoclonal antibody to mouse acrosomal components differ in guinea pig spermatogenic cells and sperm. Biol Reprod 39:431–441
Hardy DM, Huang TTF, Driscoll WJ, Tung KSK, Wild GC (1988) Purification and characterization of the primary acrosomal autoantigen of guinea pig epididymal spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 38:423–437
Isahakia MA (1991) Stage-specific expression of a protein of the acrosome of baboon sperm during spermiogenesis detected with a monoclonal antibody. J Androl 12:140–147
Kornfeld S (1987) Trafficking of lysosomal enzymes. FASEB J 1:462–468
Kurth BE, Klotz K, Flickinger CJ, Herr JC (1991) Localization of sperm antigen SP-10 during the six stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in man. Biol Reprod 44:814–821
Leblond CP, Clermont Y (1952) Spermiogenesis of the rat, mouse, hamster and guinea pig as revealed by the “periodic acid-fuchsin sulfurous acid technique”. Am J Anat 90:167–216
Mollenhauer HH, Hass BS, Morre DJ (1976) Membrane transformations in Golgi apparatus of rat spermatids. A role for thick cisternae and two classes of coated vesicles in acrosome formation. J Microscopie Biol Cell 27:33–36
Morton DB (1976) Lysosomal enzymes in mammalian spermatozoa. In: Dingle JD, Dean RT (eds) Lysosomes in biology and pathology, vol 5. Elsevier/North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 203–255
Nagura H, Brandtzaeg P, Nakane PK, Brown WR (1979) Ultrastructural localization of J chain in human intestinal mucosa. J Immunol 123:1044–1050
O'Brien DA, Gerton GL, Eddy EM (1988) Acrosomal constituents identified with a monoclonal antibody are modified during late spermiogenesis in the mouse. Biol Reprod 38:955–967
Pfeffer SR, Rothman JE (1987) Biosynthetic protein transport and sorting by the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi. Ann Rev Biochem 56:829–852
Sandoz D (1972) Etude autoradiographique de l'incorporation in vitro de galactose3H dans les spermatides de souris. J Microscopie 15:403–408
Sandoz D, Roland JC (1976) Radioautographic study of glycoproteins and polyglycans. J Microscopie Biol Cell 27:207–214
Susi FR, Leblond CP, Clermont Y (1971) Changes in the Golgi apparatus during spermiogenesis in the rat. Am J Anat 130:251–268
Tang XM, Lalli MF, Clermont Y (1982) A cytochemical study of the Golgi apparatus of the spermatid during spermiogenesis in the rat. Am J Anat 163:283–294
Tanii I, Toshimori K, Araki S, Oura C (1992) Appearance of an intra-acrosomal antigen during the terminal step of spermiogenesis in the rat. Cell Tissue Res 267:203–208
Thorne-Tjomsland G, Clermont Y, Hermo L (1988) Contribution of the Golgi apparatus components to the formation of the acrosomic system and chromatoid body in rat spermatids. Anat Rec 221:591–598
Yanagimachi R (1981) Mechanisms of fertilization in mammals. In: Mastorianni L, Biggers JD (eds) Fertilization and embryonic development in vitro. Plenum Press, New York, pp 81–182
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tanii, I., Toshimori, K., Araki, S. et al. Extra-Golgi pathway of an acrosomal antigen during spermiogenesis in the rat. Cell Tissue Res. 270, 451–457 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00645046
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00645046