Analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans Sperm Number, Size, Activation, and Mitochondrial Content

Abstract

Infertility is a widespread and often unexplained issue. Studying reproduction using C. elegans males offers insight into the influence of individual factors on male fertility in humans. We have created a collection of protocols to assess several aspects of C. elegans sperm quality, including number, size, rate of activation, and mitochondrial morphology. Studying sperm biology in a model system such as C. elegans allows access to the wealth of resources and techniques that have been optimized for that organism while providing valuable biological information that may be applicable to other systems.Graphic abstract:Flowchart depicting the preparation of C. elegans males and subsequent sperm quality assays