Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Water availability affects reproduction in deer mice.

R J Nelson1, C Desjardins

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Texas, Austin 78712-1064.

Biology of Reproduction
|September 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Water restriction significantly reduced sperm production and gonadal mass in deer mice. This suggests water availability, not just food or temperature, can suppress sperm production in these animals.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Six-month outcomes of subcutaneous foslevodopa/foscarbidopa according to initiation setting in advanced Parkinson's disease: A retrospective cohort study.

Revue neurologique·2026
Same author

Deep brain stimulation in patients with mixed movement disorders linked to ADCY5.

Revue neurologique·2025
Same author

Training in movement disorders during neurology residency in France: A national survey on educational gaps and future perspectives.

Revue neurologique·2025
Same author

Hypocortisolism as an unusual but treatable cause of dystonia-parkinsonism.

Journal of neurology·2022
Same author

Identification of Resistance Genes Effective Against Rice Bacterial Blight Pathogen in Eastern India.

Plant disease·2019
Same author

Management of Potato Late Blight in the Peruvian Highlands: Evaluating the Benefits of Farmer Field Schools and Farmer Participatory Research.

Plant disease·2019

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Environmental Physiology
  • Mammalian Reproduction

Background:

  • Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are seasonally breeding mammals facing unpredictable drought conditions.
  • Environmental factors like food, temperature, and day length typically regulate their reproductive cycles.
  • The impact of water availability on spermatogenesis in deer mice is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of water restriction on sperm production and gonadal mass in deer mice.
  • To determine if water availability acts as an independent cue for suppressing gametogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Deer mice were subjected to a simulated drought (water restriction) for 10 weeks.
  • Epididymal sperm counts were used to categorize reproductive responses (aspermic, oligospermic, euspermic).
  • Gonadal mass was measured to assess the impact of water restriction.

Main Results:

  • Water restriction significantly impaired sperm production, leading to aspermic, oligospermic, and euspermic responses.
  • Average gonadal mass was reduced in deer mice after 10 weeks of limited water consumption.
  • Individual responses to water restriction varied, mirroring natural variations in reproductive seasonality.

Conclusions:

  • Water availability is a critical factor that can suppress gametogenesis in deer mice.
  • This suppression occurs independently of other known environmental cues such as food, temperature, and day length.
  • Drought conditions may directly impact the reproductive capacity of deer mice by limiting water intake.

Related Experiment Videos