Acrosin activity in spermatozoa from sterilet6/tw32and fertile control mice

Abstract

SummarySpermatozoa from sterilet6/tw32and control fertile + / +,T/tw32,T/t6mice were compared for their abilities to hydrolyse protein matrices and for their levels of acrosin activity. The data show that the immature and mature gametes from both the experimental and control males hydrolyse protein matrices. The quantitative acrosin assays show, however, that the mature gametes from the intercomplement males have significantly less total acrosin activity than any of the control groups of gametes. These findings suggest that this reduced acrosin activity is an additional phenotypic expression of the intercomplement genotype which results in male sterility.