Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents

Rodents have spermatozoa with features not seen in other species. Sperm heads in many rodent species bear one or more apical extensions known as >hooks.> The process by which hooks have evolved, together with their adaptive significance, are still controversial issues. In order to improve our...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Varea-Sánchez, María, Tourmente, Maximiliano, Bastir, Markus, Roldán, Eduardo R. S.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/158983
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/158983
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Sperm head morphology
Sperm design
Rodents
Hook dimensions
Sperm velocity
Hook angle
id ES_cd46a80e201c63e5d678a0ee7a746560
oai_identifier_str oai:digital.csic.es:10261/158983
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodentsVarea-Sánchez, MaríaTourmente, MaximilianoBastir, MarkusRoldán, Eduardo R. S.Sperm head morphologySperm designRodentsHook dimensionsSperm velocityHook angleRodents have spermatozoa with features not seen in other species. Sperm heads in many rodent species bear one or more apical extensions known as >hooks.> The process by which hooks have evolved, together with their adaptive significance, are still controversial issues. In order to improve our understanding of the biological meaning of these sperm head adaptations, we analyzed hook curvature angles, hook length, and overall hook shape in muroid rodents by using geometric morphometrics. We also searched for relationships between hook design and measurements of intermale competition to assess whether postcopulatory sexual selection was an important selective force driving changes in this sperm structure. Finally, we sought possible links between aspects of sperm hook design and sperm velocity as a measure of sperm performance. Results showed that one hook curvature angle is under strong selective pressure. Similarly, hook length appears to be strongly selected by sexual selection, with this selective force also exhibiting a stabilizing role reducing intermale variation in this trait. The adaptive significance of changes in hook structure was supported by the finding that there are strong and significant covariations between hook dimensions and shape and between hook design and sperm swimming velocity. Overall, this study strongly suggests that postcopulatory sexual selection has an important effect on the design of the sperm head that, in turn, is important for enhancing sperm velocity, a function crucial to reaching the vicinity of the female gamete and winning fertilizations under competitive situations.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grant numbers CGL2011-26341, CGL2012-37423, CGL2012-37279. M.T. held a >Juan de la Cierva> postdoctoral fellowshipPeer ReviewedOxford University PressMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad (España)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]2018201820162018info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Postprintinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/158983reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)InglésSíinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1589832026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
title Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
spellingShingle Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
Varea-Sánchez, María
Sperm head morphology
Sperm design
Rodents
Hook dimensions
Sperm velocity
Hook angle
title_short Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
title_full Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
title_fullStr Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
title_full_unstemmed Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
title_sort Unraveling the sperm bauplan: Relationships between sperm head morphology and sperm function in rodents
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Varea-Sánchez, María
Tourmente, Maximiliano
Bastir, Markus
Roldán, Eduardo R. S.
author Varea-Sánchez, María
author_facet Varea-Sánchez, María
Tourmente, Maximiliano
Bastir, Markus
Roldán, Eduardo R. S.
author_role author
author2 Tourmente, Maximiliano
Bastir, Markus
Roldán, Eduardo R. S.
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Sperm head morphology
Sperm design
Rodents
Hook dimensions
Sperm velocity
Hook angle
topic Sperm head morphology
Sperm design
Rodents
Hook dimensions
Sperm velocity
Hook angle
description Rodents have spermatozoa with features not seen in other species. Sperm heads in many rodent species bear one or more apical extensions known as >hooks.> The process by which hooks have evolved, together with their adaptive significance, are still controversial issues. In order to improve our understanding of the biological meaning of these sperm head adaptations, we analyzed hook curvature angles, hook length, and overall hook shape in muroid rodents by using geometric morphometrics. We also searched for relationships between hook design and measurements of intermale competition to assess whether postcopulatory sexual selection was an important selective force driving changes in this sperm structure. Finally, we sought possible links between aspects of sperm hook design and sperm velocity as a measure of sperm performance. Results showed that one hook curvature angle is under strong selective pressure. Similarly, hook length appears to be strongly selected by sexual selection, with this selective force also exhibiting a stabilizing role reducing intermale variation in this trait. The adaptive significance of changes in hook structure was supported by the finding that there are strong and significant covariations between hook dimensions and shape and between hook design and sperm swimming velocity. Overall, this study strongly suggests that postcopulatory sexual selection has an important effect on the design of the sperm head that, in turn, is important for enhancing sperm velocity, a function crucial to reaching the vicinity of the female gamete and winning fertilizations under competitive situations.
publishDate 2016
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2016
2018
2018
2018
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Postprint
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/158983
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/158983
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Oxford University Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Oxford University Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869419795424739328
score 15,812429

Similares en LA Referencia