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Cited by 16Sperm and Testicular FunctionReproductive Biology and FertilityReproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species

Ultrastructural Morphology of Sperm from Human Globozoospermia

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Ricci, Giuseppe, Andolfi, Laura, Zabucchi, Giuliano, Luppi, Stefania, Boscolo, Rita, Martinelli, Monica, Zweyer, Marina, Trevisan, Elisa·2015·BioMed Research International
DOI 10.1155/2015/798754PMC PMC4578751
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Abstract

Globozoospermia is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of sperm with round head, lacking acrosome. Coiling tail around the nucleus has been reported since early human studies, but no specific significance has conferred it. By contrast, studies on animal models suggest that coiling tail around the nucleus could represent a crucial step of defective spermatogenesis, resulting in round-headed sperm. No observations, so far, support the transfer of this hypothesis to human globozoospermia. The purpose of this work was to compare ultrastructural morphology of human and mouse model globozoospermic sperm. Sperm have been investigated by using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The images that we obtained show significant similarities to those described in GOPC knockout mice, an animal model of globozoospermia. By using this model as reference, we were able to identify the probable steps of the tail coiling process in human globozoospermia. Although we have no evidence that there is the same pathophysiology in man and knocked-out mouse, the similarities between these ultrastructural observations in human and those in the experimental model are very suggestive. This is the first demonstration of the existence of relevant morphological homologies between the tail coiling in animal model and human globozoospermia.

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  • Globozoospermia is the round-headed sperm without acrosome, with an aberrant nuclear membrane, and a defect on the midpiece of sperm.

    “The other abnormality is globozoospermia, the round-headed sperm without acrosome, with an aberrant nuclear membrane, and a defect on the midpiece of sperm (43).”

    From Isolated teratozoospermia: revisiting its relevance in male infertility: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [43]

    The Results describe human globozoospermic sperm with round heads, no acrosomes, and an abnormal tail-coiling sequence involving the midpiece. The Discussion describes nuclear-envelope defects in animal models, but does not establish an aberrant nuclear membrane as a feature of the human sperm examined. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Ricci, G., Andolfi, L., Zabucchi, G., Luppi, S., Boscolo, R., Martinelli, M., Zweyer, M., & Trevisan, E.
Affiliations
  • University of Trieste (IT)
  • IOM-CNR, SS 14, Km 163, 5 Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy
  • IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo (IT)
Corresponding author
Ricci, Giuseppe
ORCID
Venue
BioMed Research International
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015
Volume
2015
Pages
1-8
ISSN
  • 1110-7243 (ISSN-L)
  • 2314-6133
  • 2314-6141
DOI
10.1155/2015/798754
PMC
PMC4578751
OpenAlex
W1693529743
Cited by
16
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
FWCI
0.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BioMed Research International (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ArTS Archivio della ricerca di Trieste (University of Trieste https://www.units.it/) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Italian Ministry of Health (RF 2011-02351812)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Sperm and Testicular Function
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Biology and Fertility
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
Keywords
globozoospermia, sperm ultrastructure, spermatogenesis defects, male infertility
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Infertility, Male, Male, Sperm Tail, Spermatozoa

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