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First published online 12 April 2005
doi: 10.1242/jcs.02301

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Non-random chromosome positioning in mammalian sperm nuclei, with migration of the sex chromosomes during late spermatogenesis

Helen A. Foster¹, Lalantha R. Abeydeera², Darren K. Griffin^1,* and Joanna M. Bridger^1,

¹ Laboratory of Nuclear and Genomic Health, Cell and Chromosome Biology Group, Division of Biosciences, School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
² Sygen International, 3033 Nashville Road, Franklin, KY 42135, USA

View larger version (95K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Representative two-dimensional FISH images showing chromosome territories within Landrace porcine spermatozoa. Whole-chromosome-painting probes were either labelled with digoxigenin and detected via anti-digoxigenin conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (green) or to biotin and detected using strepavidin conjugated to Cyanine 3 (red). The sperm nuclei are counterstained with DAPI (blue). Bar, 5 µm.

View larger version (20K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Positioning of chromosome territories distributed radially in spermatozoa. Measurements were taken from the centre of a territory to the nearest edge. This measurement was normalized by dividing it by the length of the sperm. Data are plotted from the most peripheral chromosomes on the left-hand side to the most internal chromosomes on the right-hand side. (A) Duroc. (B) Landrace. (C) Large white.

View larger version (77K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Representative image showing the morphology of both an elongated and a spherical territory in a Large White sperm head. The red SSC3 chromosome territory is packaged as a spherical territory and shown by the small arrow on the left. The larger arrow on the right highlights the green SSC4 chromosome territory that is organized in an elongated shape. Bar, 5 µm.

View larger version (5K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Schematic representation of a sperm nucleus showing the borderline anterior-medial position of the sex chromosomes SSCX and SSCY that is consistently observed in the spermatozoa from Duroc, Landrace and Large White breeds of pig. A, anterior; M, medial; P, posterior.

View larger version (109K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Chromosome territories of porcine chromosomes 5 (A,A'), 13 (B,B',B''), X and Y (C,C',D,D'). Confocal optical mid-sections of frozen tissue sections of porcine testes are displayed with insets showing different cell types from other sections. Nuclei are counterstained with propidium iodide pseudocoloured in red (A,B) and the autosomes delineated in green. (C,D) Nuclei are counterstained with DAPI (blue), the X chromosome territories are in red and the Y chromosome territories are in green. Primary spermatocytes are identified by broader long arrows, secondary spermatocytes are identified by narrow long arrows and spermatids are identified by short, thick arrows.