ACTIVATION OF DYNEIN ADENOSINE-TRIPHOSPHATASE AND FLAGELLAR MOTILITY OF DEMEMBRANATED SPERMATOZOA BY MONOVALENT SALTS AT 40-DEGREES-C IN THE DOMESTIC-FOWL, GALLUS-DOMESTICUS

1. 1. At 40°C, around the normal avian body temperature, demembranated fowl spermatozoa with no addition of monovalent chlorides were immotile. 2. 2. Demembranated spermatozoa become motile at 40°C when 0.1-0.5 M concentrations of NH4C1, NaCl and KC1 were added to the reactivation medium, with maximum motility occurring at 0.2-0.3 M in all cases. 3. 3. The addition of NH4C1, NaCl and KC1 also stimulated the ATPase activity of crude dynein extract. In contrast, LiCl did not appreciably affect motility and ATPase activity. 4. 4. These results showed that the flagellar dynein ATPase activity of fowl spermatozoa could be stimulated by the addition of certain monovalent chlorides, except LiCl, and demembranated spermatozoa might be motile at 40°C. © 1990.