Zeiss LSM 700 Confocal Microscope
Image provided by Manuel Roqueta-Rivera, Manabu Nakamura Lab
Research funded by CONACyT Fellowship from Mexico, USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Royal DSM
This image shows the structure of developing spermatids. During sperm development in the testes, a protein called acrosin (shown in green) is released in small packages called vesicles, which fuse to form a single large vesicle called the acrosome. When the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is absent, the acrosome does not form, resulting in a complete loss of matured sperm. This discovery contributes to our understanding of how DHA acts in the body.
