Identification of suitable combinations of in vitro sperm-function test for the prediction of fertility in buffalo bull

Comparative proteomic analysis of high‐ and low‐fertile buffalo bull spermatozoa for identification of fertility‐associated proteins

“…Even though several in vitro sperm function tests are available for cattle bulls, such methods are not well developed and validated for buffalo bulls. Recently, we made some preliminary efforts to identify the in vitro tests for fertility determination exclusively for buffalo bulls (Singh et al, ). Nevertheless, the bulls selected after a thorough breeding soundness evaluation vary among themselves in conception rates by 20 to 25% (Aslam et al, ; Larson & Miller, ).…”

“…In spite of the fact that buffalo has paramount importance as the chief dairy animal in several countries, their full production potential has not been exploited, partly due to poor conception rate with artificial insemination (Kumaresan & Ansari, ; Srivastava & Kumaresan, ). The susceptibility of buffalo spermatozoa to cryopreservation‐associated damages is high, leading to poor fertility in buffaloes compared to cattle (Andrabi, ; Kumaresan, Ansari, Garg, & Kataria, ), and the susceptibility varied among bulls with different field fertility ratings (Singh et al, ). Insemination of females using low‐grade ejaculates from sub‐fertile bulls causes significant loss to the dairy industry (Lopez‐Gatius, ; Lucy, ).…”

“…Recently, a number of in vitro semen evaluation tests using specific fluorescent dyes have been developed; however, their usefulness in bull fertility prediction is limited and not consistent (Kumaresan, Johannisson, Al‐Essawe, & Morrell, ; Rodríguez‐Martínez, ; Rodriguez‐Martinez & Barth, ; Saacke, Dalton, Nadir, Nebel, & Bame, ). In buffaloes, it has been reported that sperm functional analysis (Singh et al, ) and sperm–oviduct binding index (Saraf et al, ) were related to bull fertility. However, precise determination of sperm fertilizing potential still remains a challenge.…”

Effect of supplementation of recombinant Regucalcin in extender on cryopreservation of spermatozoa of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

“…Reactive oxygen species damage the spermatozoan membrane and can overwhelm the antioxidant defense system of sperm (Bilodeau, Chatterjee, Sirad, & Gagnon, ; Gadea et al, ), resulting in poor viability and low fertilization potential (Bailey et al, ). The high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the sperm plasma membrane increases its susceptibility to the oxidative stress, leading to increased lipid peroxidation (Garg, Kumaresan, & Ansari, ; Kankofer, Kolm, & Aurich, ; Singh et al, ), while the minimal cytoplasm of sperm contains an antioxidant defensive mechanism that is insufficient to cope with the predicted levels of oxidative stress generated by the cryopreservation process (Nichi et al, ). Moreover, antioxidant levels in semen decrease following cryopreservation (Bilodeau, Blanchette, Gagnon, & Sirard, ).…”

“…The elevated intracellular calcium levels of cryopreserved sperm and their reduced capacity to maintain normal concentrations of this cation (Bailey & Buhr, 1993McLaughlin & Ford, 1994) contribute to the poorer fertility of post-thaw sperm. Buffalo spermatozoa are also highly prone to oxidative stress, owing to high polyunsaturated fatty acid content (Singh et al, 2016). A cytoprotective role for endogenous RGN was demonstrated in the P19 cell line (Son et al, 2008), and its ortholog was proposed as a cold-tolerance gene in Drosophila montana (Vesala, Salminen, Kankare, & Hoikkala, 2012).…”