Changes in the surface structure of the hamster sperm head associated with maturation, in vitro capacitation and acrosome reaction: an atomic force microscopic study.

Structural changes of the hamster sperm head surface associated with maturation, capacitation and acrosome reaction were examined by atomic force microscopy. Spermatozoa were taken from the initial segment and distal cauda of the epididymis, washed in a modified Tyrode solution and fixed by glutaraldehyde. Some sperms taken from distal cauda epididymides were incubated with the capacitation medium before fixation. All samples were attached on the glass slide, dried in a critical point drier and observed by atomic force microscopy. The sperm head surface was characterized by the presence of numerous round particles, approximately 40 and 60 nm in diameter. The distribution and density of these particles on the sperm surface were significantly different between the equatorial segment and post-acrosomal region in each sperm, and also between sperms under different conditions. The surface of the equatorial segment was rather smooth in sperms from the initial segment of the epididymis, but had many large (60 nm) particles in sperms from the distal cauda epididymides, suggesting that the large particles were glycoproteins which were secreted from the epididymis and attached to the sperm surface during maturation. The number of these particles dramatically decreased in both capacitated acrosome-unreacted and acrosome-reacted sperms. This finding supports the idea that glycoproteins are removed from the sperm surface during capacitation. Atomic force microscopic studies of the sperm head surface are expected to be used for future molecular studies on the cell surface components involved in the mechanism of maturation, capacitation and acrosome reaction.