Abstract
Motility characteristics of epididymal sperm from t^w32^/+ and T/+ males of several strains were compared to those of sperm from the congenic, wildโtype mice. Epididymal sperm from C57BL/6โt^w32^/+ (B6โt^w32^/+) males showed a significant decline in vigorous motility and a significant increase in adhesivity to glass during 7.5 hours in vitro, while sperm from B6โ+/+ males showed no changes in these characteristics. The apparent mean velocities of epididymal sperm were: B6โt^w32^/+, 32 ฮผ/sec; C3Hโt^w32^/+, 60; B6XC3H hybrids (F~1~*โt^w32^/+), 44; and C3HXB6 hybrids (F~1~โt^w32^/+), 58. Each of these values was significantly lower than that of sperm from their congenic wildโtype strains: B6โ+/+, 115; C3Hโ+/+, 177; F~1~*โ+/+, 168 and F~1~โ+/+, 195 ฮผ/sec. B6โT^2J^/+ sperm had velocities intermediate to the congenic +/+ and t^w32^/+ genotypes, whereas C3HโT/+ sperm velocity was not significantly different from C3Hโ+/+. These differences in measured sperm velocity may not reflect real differences in swimming speed, but rather may indicate a difference in the shape of swimming trajectories. Erratic and convoluted swimming trajectories were observed for the majority of sperm from t^w32^/+ males of all genotypes. Differences in motility patterns of sperm from t^w32^/+ males could play a role in the abnormally high transmission of t^w32^ through the male.