Moore, H., Dvorakova, K., Jenkins, N. et al. (1 more author) (2002) Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse. Nature, 418 (6894). pp. 174-177. ISSN 0028-0836
Abstract
Spermatozoa from a single male will compete for fertilization of ova with spermatozoa from another male when present in the female reproductive tract at the same time. Close genetic relatedness predisposes individuals towards altruism, and as haploid germ cells of an ejaculate will have genotypic similarity of 50%, it is predicted that spermatozoa may display cooperation and altruism to gain an advantage when inter-male sperm competition is intense. We report here the probable altruistic behaviour of spermatozoa in an eutherian mammal. Spermatozoa of the common wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, displayed a unique morphological transformation resulting in cooperation in distinctive aggregations or 'trains' of hundreds or thousands of cells, which significantly increased sperm progressive motility. Eventual dispersal of sperm trains was associated with most of the spermatozoa undergoing a premature acrosome reaction. Cells undergoing an acrosome reaction in aggregations remote from the egg are altruistic in that they help sperm transport to the egg but compromise their own fertilizing ability.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2002 Nature Publishing Group |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > The Medical School (Sheffield) > Clinical Sciences Division South (Sheffield) > Reproductive and Developmental Medicine (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Repository Officer |
Date Deposited: | 20 Sep 2004 |
Last Modified: | 04 Jun 2014 20:26 |
Published Version: | http://www.nature.com/nature |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1038/nature00832 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:114 |