Abstract
Epididymal sperm maturation is the process through which sperm acquire the potential to fertilize the egg. For most mammals, studies report that this process is completed before the sperm enter the cauda region of the epididymis; however, in some bat species, such as the Mexican big-eared bat (Corynorhinus mexicanus), this does not occur, as the process does not end until the sperm are inside the cauda of the epididymis, and thus is associated with a long storage period.
Highlights
The sperm are formed in the testes during spermatogenesis, but are not yet capable of fertilizing an oocyte as they continue to experience structural, physiological and biochemical changes or modifications after leaving the seminiferous tubules [1]
This idea that the sperm of many mammalian species achieve maturity before reaching the caudal region emerged over 70 years ago; recently-discovered morphophysiological evidence from the vespertilionid Mexican big-eared bat (Corynorhinus mexicanus) strongly suggests that the epididymal sperm maturation process requires an unusually long time compared to that reported for other mammals, and is not completed until the sperm are in the cauda
Several authors have explored the mechanisms by which sperm reach maturity in the epididymis, recent studies of the C. mexicanus bat have opened a new perspective to consider in relation to epididymal maturation
Summary
The sperm are formed in the testes during spermatogenesis, but are not yet capable of fertilizing an oocyte as they continue to experience structural, physiological and biochemical changes or modifications after leaving the seminiferous tubules [1]. It has been reported that sperm maturation takes place between the caput and corpus of the epididymis, and that the mature sperm are stored in the cauda until ejaculation [10, 17,18,19,20,21] This idea that the sperm of many mammalian species achieve maturity before reaching the caudal region emerged over 70 years ago (see Amman and Schanbacher [22]); recently-discovered morphophysiological evidence from the vespertilionid Mexican big-eared bat (Corynorhinus mexicanus) strongly suggests that the epididymal sperm maturation process requires an unusually long time compared to that reported for other mammals, and is not completed until the sperm are in the cauda. The objective of the present study was to identify the basic aspects of this process of epididymal sperm maturation in species of bats that have been described as having prolonged sperm storage in the epididymis
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