Failure of differentiation of the nuclear-perinuclear skeletal complex in the round-headed human spermatozoa

Acrosomeless round-headed spermatozoa from three men were studied under electron microscopy and indirect immunofluorescene microscopy using the anti-calicin antibody that recognizes a basic protein of the sperm perinuclear theca (Longo et al., 1987). Electron microscopy revealed the existence of anomalies of the nuclear envelope, the nuclear matrix underlying the nuclear envelope, and the perinuclear layer. The absence of sperm labeling with the anti-calicin antibody confirmed that the formation of the perinuclear theca was impaired. Data obtained from both mature spermatozoa and ejaculated spermatids suggest that i) round-headed sperm head anomalies result from a failure of differentiation of the sperm-specific skeletal complex related to the nucleus, and ii) the acrosome spreading over the nucleus, the nuclear elongation and the post-acrosomal sheath formation are dependent on such nuclear-perinuclear differentiations. In contrast, chromatin condensation, cytokinesis and some events of the acrosomal shaping appear not to depend on those nuclear-related differentiations. The possible processes allowing the maintenance of the sperm head structures and their subsequent morphogenesis are discussed.