Establishment of a repertoire of fertility associated sperm proteins and their differential abundance in buffalo bulls (Bubalus bubalis) with contrasting fertility

Abstract

Sperm harbours a wide range of proteins regulating their functions and fertility. In the present study, we made an effort to characterize and quantify the proteome of buffalo bull spermatozoa, and to identify fertility associated sperm proteins through comparative proteomics. Using high-throughput mass spectrometry platform, we identified 1305 proteins from buffalo spermatozoa and found that these proteins were mostly enriched in glycolytic process, mitochondrial respiratory chain, tricarboxylic acid cycle, protein folding, spermatogenesis, sperm motility and sperm binding to zona pellucida (p < 7.74E−08) besides metabolic (p = 4.42E−31) and reactive oxygen species (p = 1.81E−30) pathways. Differential proteomic analysis revealed that 844 proteins were commonly expressed in spermatozoa from both the groups while 77 and 52 proteins were exclusively expressed in high- and low-fertile bulls, respectively. In low-fertile bulls, 75 proteins were significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated and 176 proteins were significantly (p < 0.05) downregulated; these proteins were highly enriched in mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I assembly (p = 2.63E−07) and flagellated sperm motility (p = 7.02E−05) processes besides oxidative phosphorylation pathway (p = 6.61E−15). The down regulated proteins in low-fertile bulls were involved in sperm motility, metabolism, sperm-egg recognition and fertilization. These variations in the sperm proteome could be used as potential markers for the selection of buffalo bulls for fertility.

Effect of Glass Wool and Sephadex Sperm Separation Techniques on Improving the Poor Quality Semen of Iraqi Buffalo Bulls

“…The reduction in the concentration of spermatozoa in groups following in vitro separation procedure may be due to the inability of the abnormal and dead sperms with poor motility to pass through glass wool and Sephadex filtration [31]. Removal of such detrimental sperm population from the ejaculates through glass wool or Sephadex filtration resulted in improved semen quality in cattle [8,28,32] and buffalo bulls [4,33,34]. Active sperm motility is essential to pass through the filters used in sperm separation.…”

“…Active sperm motility is essential to pass through the filters used in sperm separation. Sperm motility is very significant, and it's the basis for the fertilization of oocytes [4,35]. To be achieved progressive sperm motility sight for sperm activity after the removal of harmful substances like leukocytes, abnormal and dead sperm, microbial contamination, and seminal plasma.…”

“…Insemination of females using semen from low-fertility bulls leads to a massive loss for the dairy buffalo industry. Therefore, it is necessary to find reliable tests or tools to determine the latent fertility of buffalo bulls or to improve the semen quality of buffalo bulls [4]. Bulls used in artificial centers do not always produce good-quality semen [5,6].…”

Profiling of seminal plasma proteins to identify the fertility of Simmental bull with low semen quality

“…4A ) plays a role in reproductive function by initiating the process of sperm capacitation through the heparin-binding mechanism. ELSPBP1 is a sperm-binding protein that contains fibronectin type 2 (Fn 2 ) and is found in the seminal plasma of buffalo sperm [ 18 ]. The function of ELSPBP1 is not known, but its interaction with binding sperm proteins shows that the two proteins bind to the phospholipid choline of the spermatozoa membrane during ejaculation and simultaneously regulate the Fn 2 domain [ 18 ].…”

“…ELSPBP1 is a sperm-binding protein that contains fibronectin type 2 (Fn 2 ) and is found in the seminal plasma of buffalo sperm [ 18 ]. The function of ELSPBP1 is not known, but its interaction with binding sperm proteins shows that the two proteins bind to the phospholipid choline of the spermatozoa membrane during ejaculation and simultaneously regulate the Fn 2 domain [ 18 ]. However, the expression of the two proteins shows different roles in the physiological function of sperm.…”