Role of the Glandular Vas Deferens in the Development of Ascaris Spermatozoa

Ascaris suum spermatozoa in the seminal vesicles of male worms are normally rounded cells measuring 10 µ in diameter. These cells are nonmotile and contain membranous elements and lipidlike droplets randomly scattered throughout the cytoplasm. However, when substances from the glandular vas deferens are injected into the seminal vesicles the spermatozoa become motile, pleomorphic cells. The membranous elements fuse with the plasma membrane and the lipidlike droplets coalesce to form a single large inclusion. Ultrastructural examinations of the artificially activated sperm reveal that they are similar to spermatozoa previously noted only in the reproductive tract of the female worm. These observations give evidence that the glandular vas deferens in ascaris, like the accessory glands in certain mammals, produces substances which play a role in the final maturation of the spermatozoa.