The morphological and ultrastructural appearance of the crater defect in stallion spermatozoa uri icon

abstract

  • The appearance of the nuclear abnormality crater defect is described in spermatozoa from the domestic horse (Equadae). Under scanning electron microscopy, the defect appears as a severe depression at any area of the sperm nucleus or as a blister or swelling at some point on the sperm nucleus. Ultrastructurally, the crater appears as a nuclear vacuole containing amorphous material similar to that described in bull and boar sperm. The craters ranged in size from 0.5 to 2 m in diameter. Within ejaculates of stallions having this defect, the percentages of sperm with crater defects varied widely over time, being as high as 60% and as low as 15%. Copyright 1985 Alan R. Liss, Inc.

published proceedings

  • Molecular Reproduction and Development

author list (cited authors)

  • Johnson, L. A., & Hurtgen, J. P.

citation count

  • 11

complete list of authors

  • Johnson, LA||Hurtgen, JP

publication date

  • January 1985

publisher