FILAMENTOUS ACTIN DETECTED IN RAT SPERMATOZOA

In this paper we report the positive staining of epididymal spermatozoa and testicular cells (late spermatids and spermatozoa) with fluorescent phallotoxins. Staining is most obvious with rhodamine phalloidin, but is also detectible with NBD-phallacidin. Specific fluorescence is emitted as a linear tract along the dorsal curvature of the head and as an inverted V-shaped structure in what appears to be the anterior aspect of the post-acrosomal region. We conclude that filamentous actin occurs in the heads of rat spermatozoa. Moreover, we speculate that this filamentous actin is concentrated in two regions of the perinuclear theca; in the subacrosomal space along the dorsal curvature of the nucleus, and in the post-acrosomal region in an area termed the ventral spur.