Quantitative fluorometry of abnormal mouse sperm nuclei

An extensive quantitative analysis of deformed mouse spermatozoa was undertaken. Improvements over previous studies included the isolation and purification of sperm nuclei, a multifaceted analytical approach using several fluorochromes and the analysis of individual nuclei classified into shape categories. Malformed sperm nuclei in BALB/c mice could not be distinguished from normal ones in terms of total and basic proteins, sulfhydryl and disulfide group concentration, DNA concentration and chromatin organization. The shape of sperm nuclei is therefore probably determined by the manner in which the internal biochemical components are assembled.