The Impact of Time and Environmental Factors on the Mitochondrial Vesicle and Subsequent Motility of Amphibian Sperm

ORCID

CKouba: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8466-6077

MSU Affiliation

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology; College of Forest Resources; Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture

Creation Date

2026-10-30

Abstract

For amphibian species that display external fertilization in an aquatic environment, hypoosmotic shock to sperm cells can quickly result in damage to cellular structure and function. This study sought to determine how fertilization media osmolality, temperature, and time impact the stability of the mitochondrial vesicle's association with the sperm head and thus motility and quality of forward progression. The presence of the mitochondrial vesicle and its relationship with sperm motility and quality of forward progression were analyzed in sperm samples from the Fowler's toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) (n = 10) when held for six hours under two temperatures and four osmolalities. Results indicated that the presence of the mitochondrial vesicle is needed for sperm motility over time (p < 0.001), where higher osmolalities (p < 0.001) and lower temperatures (p < 0.001) correlated with maintaining the vesicle attachment to the spermatozoa. The higher osmolality of spermic urine was the most important factor for maintaining higher quality of forward progressive motility (p < 0.01) of spermatozoa. Sperm samples held at 4 °C and 40 mOsm/kg had the longest half-life for motility (540 min) and quality of forward progression (276 min), whereas sperm held at 22 °C and 2.5 mOsm/kg had the shortest half-life for motility (7 min) and quality of forward progression (18 min). Special attention should be given to the osmolality and temperature of fertilization solutions, or breeding tank water, when developing cold storage protocols for toad sperm or reproducing animals to ensure the retention of the mitochondrial vesicle for maximum fertilization capability.

Keywords

anuran, bufonid, conservation, endangered, reproduction

Publication Date

3-30-2022

Publication Title

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Publisher

Elsevier

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Rights

© 2022 The Authors

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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111191