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GRAVITATIONAL PATTERN OF THE Y-BEARING HUMAN SPERMATOZOA IN DENSITY GRADIENT CENTRIFUGATION

Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Institute of Pathology, Institute of Biological and Physiological Chemistry, Humboldt-University, 104 Berlin, GDR

(Received 17th September 1974)

Numerous attempts have been made to separate the X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa of mammals (Kiddy & Hafs, 1971). In our initial studies of the progressive sperm motility in cervical mucus of women, we found a fraction that was rich in Y-bearing spermatozoa in the frontal zone of sperm migration (Rohde, Zillmann, Porstmann & Dörner, 1972; Rohde, Porstmann & Dörner, 1973). Using an in-vitro penetration test, Kaiser, Broen, Citoler & Leister (1974) reported similar results. Ericsson, Langerin & Nishino (1973) reported the isolation of fractions rich in Y-bearing human spermatozoa using the progressive sperm motility in bovine serum albumin solutions of various densities. The present study reports the use of density gradient centrifugation with a discontinuous sucrose gradient, to demonstrate that human spermatozoa tend to separate into populations with distinct