Semen characteristics, cryopreservation, and successful artificial insemination in the Blue rock pigeon (Columba livia)

Sontakke, Sadanand D; Umapathy, Govindhaswamy; Vedantam, Sivaram; Kholkute, S. D.; Shivaji, Sisinthy

doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2003.08.018

Cited by 55 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…This is higher than the level seen in Magellanic penguins (5.5%) [O'Brien et al, ]. An increase in bent heads or midpieces has been seen in other avian species after dilution or storage [Sontakke et al, ]. The samples in this study were diluted approximately 1:1 with stain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Semen Characteristics and artificial insemination in rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome)

et al. 2011

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This work was performed as part of a multi-year study to determine the cause of the low fertility in captive rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) and attempt to increase the fertility through artificial insemination (AI). Semen collection and characterization was performed on 14 male rockhopper penguins. The samples were evaluated for volume, sperm concentration, and sperm quality (motility, forward motility, viability, and morphology). There was a large variation between individuals and between collections for each individual. Mean volume of ejaculate was 0.24 ml. Mean concentration was 47.09 × 10(6) sperm/ml. Mean number of sperm per collection was 6.57 × 10(6). The mean motility was 49.4%. Mean forward motility was 1.7. Mean percentage of living sperm was 88.9%. Mean percentage of sperm with normal morphology was 69.4%. AI was performed on a total of 10 females using pooled semen samples. The birds were also allowed to naturally mate. Ten eggs were laid and three fertile eggs were produced, one of them hatched but died within 24 hr. Paternity testing was performed using 12 microsatellite loci, but unfortunately due to insufficient variability, the paternity of the chick and two embryos could not be determined.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Semen Characteristics and artificial insemination in rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome)

et al. 2011

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“…The present study demonstrates that the abdominal massage method for semen collection can be used to induce ejaculation in the Griffon vulture, but the efficiency with which the vultures ejaculated (27.9%) was lower compared to the rates obtained in other birds, such as the Indian white-backed vulture [84.6%; [ 13 ]], the American kestrel [74%; [ 26 ]], the sandhill crane [86%; [ 27 ]], and the blue rock pigeon [90%; [ 28 ]], using the same method. Besides, we obtained ejaculates of rather small volumes (12.5 ± 9.1 μl) and with a high variability in sperm concentration (28.4 ± 30.9 spermatozoa × 10 6 /ml).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ejaculate collection efficiency and post-thaw semen quality in wild-caught Griffon vultures from the Sardinian population

Madeddu

Berlinguer

Ledda

et al. 2009

Reprod Biol Endocrinol

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This study aimed to test the feasibility of a programme of semen collection and cryopreservation in Griffon vultures. Four wild-caught individuals kept in captivity because of unrecoverable traumas were used. Semen collection attempts were made twice a week during three consecutive reproductive seasons (December -March) using the abdominal massage method. Ejaculation was successfully induced between late January and late February. Semen collection efficiency was rather low (27.9%) and it did not vary among individuals (p > 0.05). No differences were found in ejaculate volumes (12.5 +/-9.1 μl), spermatozoa concentration (28.4 +/-30.9 million cells/ml) and viability (61.3 +/-13.9%) among the 4 vultures. ATP values differed among the four vultures (p < 0.001); B showed higher nucleotide concentration than both C and D, while it did not differ form A, whose values were higher compared with D. After freezing and thawing, semen in vitro viability, DNA integrity and ATP intracellular concentration were determined. Spermatozoa viability after thawing did not differ among the four individuals (52.6 +/-5.8 in A, 53.4 +/-4.6 in B, 50.4 +/-3.2 in C, 42.5 +/-2.7 in D), but it decreased significantly compared to fresh semen (p < 0.05). During 4 hrs in vitro culture, spermatozoa collected from B maintained over time a higher viability in vitro when compared to A, C and D. As evaluated by the comet assay method, DNA fragmentation after freezing and thawing did not differ in the 4 vultures. ATP concentration in frozen/thawed semen was significantly lower than in fresh semen (p < 0.0001). This study indicates that semen cryopreservation can be considered as a useful tool in the conservation of Griffon vulture genetic resources, but further studies are needed to optimize this technique.

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“…For example, the percentage of motile sperm in ejaculates is reported to be stable for several hours after collection [26], [70], across a wide range of temperatures (e.g. 24–37°C, [71]). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm Competition Selects for Sperm Quantity and Quality in the Australian Maluridae

Rowe

Pruett‐Jones

2011

PLoS ONE

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When ejaculates from rival males compete for fertilization, there is strong selection for sperm traits that enhance fertilization success. Sperm quantity is one such trait, and numerous studies have demonstrated a positive association between sperm competition and both testes size and the number of sperm available for copulations. Sperm competition is also thought to favor increases in sperm quality and changes in testicular morphology that lead to increased sperm production. However, in contrast to sperm quantity, these hypotheses have received considerably less empirical support and remain somewhat controversial. In a comparative study using the Australian Maluridae (fairy-wrens, emu-wrens, grasswrens), we tested whether increasing levels of sperm competition were associated with increases in both sperm quantity and quality, as well as an increase in the relative amount of seminiferous tubule tissue contained within the testes. After controlling for phylogeny, we found positive associations between sperm competition and sperm numbers, both in sperm reserves and in ejaculate samples. Additionally, as sperm competition level increased, the proportion of testicular spermatogenic tissue also increased, suggesting that sperm competition selects for greater sperm production per unit of testicular tissue. Finally, we also found that sperm competition level was positively associated with multiple sperm quality traits, including the proportion of motile sperm in ejaculates and the proportion of both viable and morphologically normal sperm in sperm reserves. These results suggest multiple ejaculate traits, as well as aspects of testicular morphology, have evolved in response to sperm competition in the Australian Maluridae. Furthermore, our findings emphasize the importance of post-copulatory sexual selection as an evolutionary force shaping macroevolutionary differences in sperm phenotype.

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Semen characteristics, cryopreservation, and successful artificial insemination in the Blue rock pigeon (Columba livia)

Cited by 55 publications

References 31 publications

Semen Characteristics and artificial insemination in rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome)

Semen Characteristics and artificial insemination in rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome)

Ejaculate collection efficiency and post-thaw semen quality in wild-caught Griffon vultures from the Sardinian population

Sperm Competition Selects for Sperm Quantity and Quality in the Australian Maluridae

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