Acquisition of potential for sperm motility in rainbow trout and chum salmon

Abstract

The male reproductive organ of rainbow trout and chum salmon consists of a pair of testes and sperm ducts. Spermatozoa in the distal portion of the sperm ducts exhibit full motility in the K+-free medium. However, spermatozoa from the testis were almost immotile in this medium. This suggests that the spermatozoa acquire a capacity for movement during their passage from the testis along the sperm duct. In chum salmon migrating into a bay, the sperm duct was almost empty. However, after the fish have travelled upstream for 1 km to their spawning ground in the river, the spermatozoa have left the testis, moved into the sperm duct and are capable of becoming motile. Thus it is probable that the process of acquiring the ability to move occurs within a relatively short period in this simple reproductive organ. Additionally, testicular spermatozoa demembranated with Triton X-100 exhibited motility, although the motility was less than that of demembranated spermatozoa from the sperm duct, suggesting that the acquisition of motility may correspond with the development of some function of the plasma membrane.