Sterility in mutant (tLx/tLy) male mice. II. A morphological study of spermatozoa.

A comparative light and electron microscopy study was done on cauda epididymal spermatozoa obtained from correspondingly-aged sterile t6/tw32, and fertile T/tw32, T/t6 and BALB/c, mice. The results show that all of the males, regardless of age, contained defective gametes and that all contained the same types of aberrant gametes. The oldest males of each genotype contained more abnormal gametes than the younger males of the same genotype. No unique spermatozoan defect and no increased frequency of a specific spermatozoan defect was noted which could be correlated with the sterility of the t6/tw32 animals.