Micromorphological and ultrastructural description of spermatozoa from squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri collinsi Osgood, 1916)

• Published in: Zygote (Cambridge) Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 203 - 207
• Main Authors: Leão, Danuza L, Sampaio, Wlaisa V, Sousa, Patrícia C, Moura, Arlindo A A, Oskam, Irma C, Santos, Regiane R, Domingues, Sheyla F S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Acrosome - physiology; Acrosome - ultrastructure; Animal models; Animals; Axoneme - ultrastructure; Biotechnology; Cell Membrane - ultrastructure; Cell Nucleus - ultrastructure; Cellular structure; Electromyography; Fertility; Fibers; Humans; Male; Males; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning - methods; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission - methods; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - ultrastructure; Monkeys; Morphology; Motility; Plasma; Saimiri; Saimiri collinsi; Scanning electron microscopy; Semen - cytology; Sheaths; Sperm; Sperm Head - physiology; Sperm Head - ultrastructure; Sperm Motility; Sperm Tail - physiology; Sperm Tail - ultrastructure; Spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - physiology; Spermatozoa - ultrastructure; Squirrels; Transmission electron microscopy; Ultrastructure; Wildlife conservation; United Kingdom > UK; Brazil; Neotropical primates; Scanning; Electron microscopy; Sperm; Transmission
• ISSN: 0967-1994; 1469-8730
• DOI: 10.1017/S0967199419000868

Saimiri collinsi is used as an animal model in biotechnology research for conservation of species from the genus Saimiri. However, the development of biotechnologies depends on a proper knowledge of the sperm morphology to understand the basic aspects of sperm physiology, as potential male fertility depends on different cellular sperm structures. With this purpose, this study characterized the micromorphological and ultrastructural characteristics of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri collinsi) sperm using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM electromyography revealed that a normal Saimiri collinsi sperm measures 71.7 ± 0.7 μm with lateral tail insertion, a paddle-shaped flattened head and an acrosome occupying most of the head. TEM also showed that the middle piece is characterized by a central 9 + 2 microtubule axoneme surrounded by nine dense fibres, and that the mitochondria were juxtaposed, forming the mitochondrial sheath. Here we provide the first micromorphological and ultrastructure description of S. collinsi sperm.