Evaluation of carp sperm respiration: fluorometry with optochemical oxygen sensor versus polarography.

The primary function of spermatozoa is to fertilize the oocyte, which depends on their motility and is directly associated with their metabolic state. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of spermatozoa reflects the respiratory capacity of sperm mitochondria under various physiological conditions and is an essential marker of sperm quality. We determined the OCR of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) sperm using two respirometry methods: the conventionally used polarographic method with a Clark-type electrode and fluorometric assay with an Oxo Dish optochemical oxygen sensor.

Post-testicular sperm maturation in ancient holostean species.

Fish speciation was accompanied by changes in the urogenital system anatomy. In evolutionarily modern Teleostei, male reproductive tracts are fully separated from the excretory system, while in evolutionarily ancient Chondrostei and Holostei, the excretory and reproductive tracts are not separated. Sturgeon post-testicular sperm maturation (PTSM) occurring as a result of sperm/urine mixing is phenomenologically well described, while, in holosteans, functional intimacy of seminal ducts with kidney ducts and the existence of PTSM still need to be addressed.

Bioenergetic Pathways in the Sperm of an Under-Ice Spawning Fish, Burbot (): The Role of Mitochondrial Respiration in a Varying Thermal Environment.

Regarding the sperm of cold-water fish, the contributions of different bioenergetic pathways, including mitochondrial respiration, to energy production at the spawning temperature and its adaptation at the maximum critical temperature (CTmax) are unclear. The roles of glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) at 4 °C, and OXPHOS at 15 °C for energy production in burbot () spermatozoa were studied by motility and the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) (with and without pathway inhibitors and the OXPHOS uncoupler). At both temperatures, the effects of the inhibitors and the uncoupler on the motility duration, curvilinear velocity, and track linearity were insignificant; in addition, the OCRs in activation and non-activation media differed insignificantly and were not enhanced after uncoupler treatment.

Influence of Environmental Temperature and Hormonal Stimulation on the In Vitro Sperm Maturation in Sterlet in Advance of the Spawning Season.

Sturgeon sperm maturation occurs outside the testes during the transit of testicular spermatozoa (TS) through the kidneys and the Wolffian ducts. A method of in vitro TS maturation in sterlet was used to investigate the effects of temperature and hormonal stimulation of spermiation on the ability of TS to complete this process. Spermatozoa motility parameters after in vitro maturation of testicular sperm, concentrations of sex steroid hormones and testis morphology were studied in three groups of sterlet: (1) after overwintering in ponds (OW), (2) adapted to spawning temperature (ST), and (3) adapted to spawning temperature with hormonal induction of spermiation (ST-HI).

Sperm antioxidant system in ocellate river stingray Potamotrygon motoro at transition from seminal vesicle to cloaca.

The importance of reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant system in sperm biology has been recognized for different bony fishes but nothing is known in this regard for chondrichthyans. For the first time for cartilaginous fishes, the enzymatic antioxidant system was shown herein to be present in both fractions of sperm (spermatozoa and seminal fluid) collected from two different places (seminal vesicle and cloaca). In internally fertilizing freshwater ocellate river stingray, Potamotrygon motoro, the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase was not changed upon sperm transition from the seminal vesicle to the cloaca.

Different glycolipids in sperm from different freshwater fishes - A high-performance thin-layer chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry study.

Rationale: Glycolipids play important roles in many physiological processes - despite their commonly low abundance. This study summarizes selected data on the (glyco)lipid composition of sperm from different fish species.

Methods: Lipid extraction of fish sperm was performed according to the procedure by Bligh and Dyer.

Energy pathways associated with sustained spermatozoon motility in the endangered Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii.

Sturgeon spermatozoa are unique for their sustained motility. We investigated the relative importance of bioenergetic pathways in the energy supply of Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii spermatozoa during motile and immotile states. Spermatozoon motility and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) were analysed following exposure to inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation (sodium azide, NaN ), glycolysis (2-deoxy-D-glucose, DOG) and β-oxidation of fatty acids (sodium fluoride, NaF), and to an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation (carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazine, CCCP).

Sperm Lipid Composition in Early Diverged Fish Species: Internal vs. External Mode of Fertilization.

The lipid composition of sperm membranes is crucial for fertilization and differs among species. As the evolution of internal fertilization modes in fishes is not understood, a comparative study of the sperm lipid composition in freshwater representatives of externally and internally fertilizing fishes is needed for a better understanding of taxa-specific relationships between the lipid composition of the sperm membrane and the sperm physiology. The lipidomes of spermatozoa from stingray, a representative of cartilaginous fishes possessing internal fertilization, and sterlet, a representative of chondrostean fishes with external fertilization, have been studied by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), electrospray MS, gas chromatography-(GC) MS, and thin-layer chromatography (TLC).

Metal-Organic Frameworks in Modern Physics: Highlights and Perspectives.

Owing to the synergistic combination of a hybrid organic-inorganic nature and a chemically active porous structure, metal-organic frameworks have emerged as a new class of crystalline materials. The current trend in the chemical industry is to utilize such crystals as flexible hosting elements for applications as diverse as gas and energy storage, filtration, catalysis, and sensing. From the physical point of view, metal-organic frameworks are considered molecular crystals with hierarchical structures providing the structure-related physical properties crucial for future applications of energy transfer, data processing and storage, high-energy physics, and light manipulation.

In vitro antioxidant enzyme activity and sperm motility at different temperatures in sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.

Influence of in vitro temperature on sperm antioxidant enzyme activity, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content and motility parameters was evaluated in sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Sperm activation was conducted at 4, 14 and 24 °C in both species. Duration of motility was significantly longer at 4 °C than at 14 and 24 °C in both species.

Fish sperm biology in relation to urogenital system structure.

Morphology of the urogenital system has evolved during fish speciation. Chondrostei (sturgeons and paddlefishes) possess an excretory system which is called "primitive" in that the sperm ducts enter the kidneys and share the excretory ducts where sperm is mixed with urine before it is released into the spawning environment. Further, in this group of fishes there are also physiological characteristics which are associated with these anatomical features where the mixing of sperm and urine is a prerequisite for the final sperm maturation rather than contamination.

Sperm motility and lipid composition in internally fertilizing ocellate river stingray Potamotrygon motoro.

All extant groups of Elasmobranches have internal fertilization and the structure of the male reproductive organs is very specific: sperm passes from the internal organs via the cloaca, but the male copulating organ (clasper) is distant from the cloaca. This suggests that sperm can contact the surrounding medium before fertilization. Because of this involvement with the environment, external signaling in sperm motility activation could occur in these species even though their fertilization mode is internal.

Response to Comment "On the Existence of Excitonic Signatures in the Optical Response of Metal-Organic Frameworks".

This is a response to a comment on the interpretation of the origin of the nonlinear changes of optical properties of van der Waals' metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The concerns are addressed by clarifying potential pitfalls in density functional theory (DFT) simulations, careful analysis of prior literature, and additionally discussing the previous experimental results to emphasize the applicability of the excitonic concept in molecular crystals, such as MOFs.

Sperm maturation in sturgeon (Actinopterygii, Acipenseriformes): A review.

The morphology of the reproductive system of acipenseriform fishes is quite different from that of teleostean species, but an associated unique physiological difference in male sturgeons was not discovered until recently; sperm of sturgeons passes through the kidneys then via Wolffian ducts into the environment rather that emptying directly through seminal ducts. The mixing of sperm with excretory products has been found to be a requisite for the capacity to be activated (maturation step) instead of being deleterious. In the current review we summarize results of studies performed in our laboratory on physiological processes involved in sturgeon sperm maturation, namely changes in: 1) ionic environment; 2) sensitivity of spermatozoa to calcium ions (Ca); 3) antioxidant enzymes and proteolytic activities; and 4) content in macroergic phosphates arising during this maturation process.

Analysis of common carp Cyprinus carpio sperm motility and lipid composition using different in vitro temperatures.

In fish, sperm quality is frequently associated with sperm motility variables. The response of sperm motility to different temperatures varies among species and plasma membrane lipid composition may contribute to variations in findings in previous research. In the present study, sperm motility and lipid composition were analysed between motile or immotile carp Cyprinus carpio sperm at different in vitro temperatures (4, 14 and 24°C).

van der Waals Metal-Organic Framework as an Excitonic Material for Advanced Photonics.

Synergistic combination of organic and inorganic nature in van der Waals metal-organic frameworks supports different types of robust excitons that can be effectively and independently manipulated by light at room temperature, and opens new concepts for all-optical data processing and storage.

Characterization of proteolytic and anti-proteolytic activity involvement in sterlet spermatozoon maturation.

In sturgeon, the acquisition of the potential for motility activation called spermatozoon maturation takes place outside testes. This process can be accomplished in vitro by pre-incubation of immature testicular spermatozoa in seminal fluid collected from fully mature Wolffian duct sperm. Addition of trypsin inhibitor to the pre-incubation medium disrupts spermatozoon maturation.

The in vitro effect of temperature on motility and antioxidant response of common carp Cyprinus carpio spermatozoa.

The effect of temperature on Cyprinus carpio spermatozoa in vitro was investigated with spermatozoa activated at 4, 14, and 24°C. At 30s post-activation, motility rate was significantly higher at 4°C compared to 14 and 24°C, whereas highest swimming velocity was observed at 14°C. The thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content was significantly higher at 14°C and 24°C than at 4°C in motile spermatozoa.

The antioxidant system of seminal fluid during in vitro storage of sterlet Acipenser ruthenus sperm.

The role of the seminal fluid antioxidant system in protection against damage to spermatozoa during in vitro sperm storage is unclear. This study investigated the effect of in vitro storage of sterlet Acipenser ruthenus spermatozoa together with seminal fluid for 36 h at 4 °C on spermatozoon motility rate and curvilinear velocity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance level, and components of enzyme and non-enzyme antioxidant system (superoxide dismutase and catalase activity and uric acid concentration) in seminal fluid. Spermatozoon motility parameters after sperm storage were significantly decreased, while the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and uric acid concentration did not change.

Enzyme activity in energy supply of spermatozoon motility in two taxonomically distant fish species (sterlet Acipenser ruthenus, Acipenseriformes and common carp Cyprinus carpio, Cypriniformes).

As spermatozoon motility duration differs significantly among fish species, the mechanism of ATP generation-regeneration and its distribution along the flagellum may be species-dependent. The present study compared the role of creatine kinase (CK) with that of adenylate kinase (AK) in ATP regeneration during motility of demembranated spermatozoa of taxonomically distant fish species, sterlet, and common carp, allowing investigation for the presence of the creatine-phosphocreatine (PCr) shuttle in sterlet spermatozoa. The flagellar beat frequency of demembranated spermatozoa was measured in reactivating media in the presence or absence of ATP, ADP, PCr, and CK and AK inhibitors.

Motility of fish spermatozoa: from external signaling to flagella response.

For successful fertilization, spermatozoa must access, bind, and penetrate an egg, processes for which activation of spermatozoa motility is a prerequisite. Fish spermatozoa are stored in seminal plasma where they are immotile during transit through the genital tract of most externally fertilizing teleosts and chondrosteans. Under natural conditions, motility is induced immediately following release of spermatozoa from the male genital tract into the aqueous environment.

Motility and fertilization ability of sterlet Acipenser ruthenus testicular sperm after cryopreservation.

Sturgeon spermatozoa are immotile in the testis and acquire the potential for motility after contact with urine in Wolffian duct. The present study tested if in vitro incubation of testicular sperm in seminal fluid from Wolffian duct sperm leads to the acquisition of sperm fertilization ability. Sterlet sperm was taken from the testes, matured in vitro and cryopreserved.

The antioxidant system of sterlet seminal fluid in testes and Wolffian ducts.

Oxidative stress is a possible source of spermatozoa function deterioration. Seminal fluid (SF) protects spermatozoa against reactive oxygen species (ROS) attack during development in testes and transit through the reproductive tract. Spermatozoa curvilinear velocity and percent of motile cells as well as changes in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity, and uric acid concentration in SF were evaluated in sterlet sperm collected from testes 24 h after hormone induction of spermiation and from Wolffian ducts at 12, 24, 36, and 60 h after hormone injection (HI).

In vitro sperm maturation in sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus.

The aim of the study was to examine sperm maturation in sturgeon and to establish the localization of the maturation. We demonstrated that sperm maturation occurs in sturgeon outside the testes via dilution of sperm by urine. The process involves the participation of high molecular weight (>10kDa) substances and calcium ions.

Photo-induced electric polarizability of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in weak optical fields.

Using a developed co-precipitation method, we synthesized spherical Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a wide nonlinear absorption band of visible radiation. Optical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles dispersed in an optically transparent copolymer of methyl methacrylate with styrene were studied by optical spectroscopy and z-scan techniques. We found that the electric polarizability of Fe3O4 nanoparticles is altered by low-intensity visible radiation (I ≤ 0.