Fertility and Sterility
Volume 82, Issue 2 , Pages 463-468 , August 2004

An ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study of a rare genetic sperm tail defect that causes infertility in humans

  • Baccio Baccetti, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Section of Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
    • Regional Referral Center for Male Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Senese, Siena, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Baccio Baccetti, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Section of Biology, University of Siena, Via T. Pendola 62-53100, Siena, Italy (FAX: 39- 05-772-33509).
    • ,
  • Emanuele Bruni, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Section of Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
    • Regional Referral Center for Male Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Senese, Siena, Italy
    • ,
  • Laura Gambera, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Section of Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
    • Regional Referral Center for Male Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Senese, Siena, Italy
    • ,
  • Elena Moretti, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Section of Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
    • Regional Referral Center for Male Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Senese, Siena, Italy
    • ,
  • Paola Piomboni, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Section of Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
    • Regional Referral Center for Male Infertility, Azienda Ospedaliera Senese, Siena, Italy

Received 11 September 2003 ,Revised 15 December 2003 ,Accepted 15 December 2003.

References 

  1. Baccetti B, Capitani S, Collodel G, Di Cairano G, Gambera L, Moretti E, et al. Genetic sperm defects and consanguinity. Hum Reprod. 2001;16:1365–1371
  2. Baccetti B, Burrini AG, Capitani S, Collodel G, Moretti E, Piomboni P, et al. Notulae seminologicae 2. The “short tail” and “stump” defect in human spermatozoa. Androl. 1993;25:331–335
  3. Chemes HE, Olmedo SB, Carrere C, Oses R, Carizza C, Leisner M, et al. Ultrastructural pathology of the sperm flagellum (association between flagellar pathology and fertility prognosis in severely asthenozoospermic men). Hum Reprod. 1998;13:2521–2526
  4. Rawe VY, Galaverna GD, Acosta AA, Olmedo SB, Chermes HE. Incidence of tail structure distortions associated with dysplasia of the fibrous sheath in human spermatozoa. Hum Reprod. 2001;16:879–886
  5. Afzelius BA, Eliasson R. Flagellar mutants in man (on the heterogeneity of the immotile-cilia syndrome). J Ultrastruct Res. 1979;69:43–52
  6. Baccetti B, Selmi MG, Soldani P. Morphogenesis of ‘decapitated’ spermatozoa in a man. J Reprod Fertil. 1984;70:395–397
  7. Chemes HE, Carizza C, Scarinci F, Brugo S, Neuspiller N, Shwarzstein L. Lack of a head in human spermatozoa from sterile patients (a syndrome associated with impaired fertilization). Fertil Steril. 1987;47:310–316
  8. Baccetti B, Burrini AG, Collodel G, Magnano AR, Piomboni P, Renieri T, et al. Morphogenesis of decapitated and decaudated sperm defect in two brothers. Gamete Res. 1989;23:181–188
  9. Chemes HE, Puigdomenech ET, Carizza C, Olmedo SB, Zanchetti F, Hermes R. Acephalic spermatozoa and abnormal development of the head-neck attachment (a human syndrome of genetic origin). Hum Reprod. 1999;14:1811–1818
  10. Baccetti B, Burrini AG, Maver A, Pallini V, Renieri T. “9+0” immobile spermatozoa in an infertile man. Andrologia. 1979;11:437–443
  11. Baccetti B, Burrini AG, Pallini V. Spermatozoa and cilia lacking axoneme in an infertile man. Andrologia. 1980;12:525–532
  12. World Health Organization . WHO laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and semen-cervical mucus interaction. 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1999;
  13. Ross A, Christie S, Kerr MG. An electron microscope study of a tail abnormality in spermatozoa from a subfertile man. J Reprod Fertil. 1971;24:99–103
  14. Miki K, Willis WD, Brown PR, Goulding EH, Fulcher KD, Eddy EM. Targeted disruption of the Akap4 gene causes defects in sperm flagellum and motility. Dev Biol. 2002;248:331–342

☆ Supported by a Piano di Ateneo per la Ricerca (PAR) grant, University of Siena and Azienda Ospedaliera Senese, Siena, Italy.

PII: S0015-0282(04)00866-0

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.12.049

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 82, Issue 2 , Pages 463-468 , August 2004

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