Histochemical and autoradiographic studies of abnormal spermatozoa in mice of the inbred KE strain.

Abnormal spermatozoa in mice of the KE strain, with defective chromatin condensation, are induced by disturbances in the process of spermiogenesis. When stained with methyl green-pyronin, spermatozoa with elongated heads reveal a staining pattern characteristic of the 13th stage of development of spermatids, indicating that they are not totally transformed molecularly, like normal spermatozoa. Labeling with L-arginine-5-H3 showed a weaker incorporation of arginine in the heads of the abnormal spermatozoa particularly those with elongated heads. Errors in the process of differentiation of spermatozoa leading to abnormal shapes may be related to atypical composition of deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNP).