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Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse

Author

Listed:
  • Harry Moore

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Katerina Dvoráková

    (Charles University)

  • Nicholas Jenkins

    (University of Sheffield)

  • William Breed

    (University of Adelaide)

Abstract

Spermatozoa from a single male will compete for fertilization of ova with spermatozoa from another male when present in the female reproductive tract at the same time1. Close genetic relatedness predisposes individuals towards altruism, and as haploid germ cells of an ejaculate will have genotypic similarity of 50%, it is predicted that spermatozoa may display cooperation and altruism to gain an advantage when inter-male sperm competition is intense2. We report here the probable altruistic behaviour of spermatozoa in an eutherian mammal. Spermatozoa of the common wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, displayed a unique morphological transformation resulting in cooperation in distinctive aggregations or ‘trains’ of hundreds or thousands of cells, which significantly increased sperm progressive motility. Eventual dispersal of sperm trains was associated with most of the spermatozoa undergoing a premature acrosome reaction. Cells undergoing an acrosome reaction in aggregations remote from the egg are altruistic in that they help sperm transport to the egg but compromise their own fertilizing ability.

Suggested Citation

  • Harry Moore & Katerina Dvoráková & Nicholas Jenkins & William Breed, 2002. "Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6894), pages 174-177, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:418:y:2002:i:6894:d:10.1038_nature00832
    DOI: 10.1038/nature00832
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    Cited by:

    1. Stefania Ketzetzi & Melissa Rinaldin & Pim Dröge & Joost de Graaf & Daniela J. Kraft, 2022. "Activity-induced interactions and cooperation of artificial microswimmers in one-dimensional environments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Simone Immler & Harry DM Moore & William G Breed & Tim R Birkhead, 2007. "By Hook or by Crook? Morphometry, Competition and Cooperation in Rodent Sperm," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 2(1), pages 1-5, January.
    3. Trenchard, Hugh & Ratamero, Erick & Richardson, Ashlin & Perc, Matjaž, 2015. "A deceleration model for bicycle peloton dynamics and group sorting," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 24-34.

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