Phenotype and fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa of chimaeric mice produced from two strains that differ in sperm quality.

Spermatozoa of males from the inbred mouse strains, KE (albino) and CBA (agouti), are distinguishable by head shape and differ in quality: CBA spermatozoa show a lower percentage of abnormal heads and higher efficiency of fertilization. Aggregation chimaeras were produced to investigate whether these differences are intrinsic or extrinsic to spermatogenic cells. Among 24 overt chimaeras, 14 were males: 1 was sterile, 8 produced either KE or CBA spermatozoa, as recognized by shape and by progeny testing, and 5 (21%) were germ-line chimaeras. Both the level of abnormal sperm heads and the efficiency of fertilization of CBA and KE spermatozoa produced by chimaeric males (except two subfertile ones) were within the range characteristic for the respective strain. All 5 germ-line chimaeras, irrespective of their coat colour composition, produced about 98% KE and only 2% CBA spermatozoa, which indicated strong selection against CBA germ cells. However, mature CBA spermatozoa showed high competitive ability, because the proportion of agouti progeny (from the CBA component) sired by those males was significantly higher than the proportion of CBA spermatozoa, estimated from vaginal plug preparations after every mating. The fact that this difference was particularly striking for one chimaera with a preponderance of CBA somatic component may suggest some influences extrinsic to spermatogenic cells. We conclude from this study that sperm head shape, the level of sperm abnormalities and fertilizing capacity are determined largely autonomously by genes acting in the germ cells. The internal environment created by foreign somatic cells exerts only minor modifications, unless there has been deterioration beyond the range of 'normality'.