Sperm sex-sorting in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

Hermes, Robert; Behr, B.; Hildebrandt, Thomas B.; Blöttner, S.; Sieg, Birgit; Frenzel, Antje; Knieriem, Andreas; Saragusty, Joseph; Rath, Detlef

doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2008.05.007

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Good motility ejaculates contained higher proportions of spermatozoa that were morphologically normal and stained positive with Spermac stain. Mean ejaculate volume reported in this study was in agreement with values previously reported for the rectal massage technique [8], [9], [10] as well as other techniques including rectal massage with standing sedation [11], electroejaculation [5] and artificial vagina [7]. However, high proportion of ejaculates obtained via rectal massage represented a sperm-rich fraction with minimal seminal plasma contribution and may not represent a ‘true ejaculate’.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Semen from elephants has been collected using a variety of methods including electroejaculation [5], manual stimulation [6], artificial vagina [7], rectal massage without sedation [8], [9], [10], and rectal massage with standing sedation [11]. The rectal massage method of semen collection [8] has been adopted at many bull-holding facilities due to its safety, practicality, and ability to collect bull elephants without sedation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Lactotransferrin in Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Seminal Plasma Correlates with Semen Quality

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) have highly variable ejaculate quality within individuals, greatly reducing the efficacy of artificial insemination and making it difficult to devise a sperm cryopreservation protocol for this endangered species. Because seminal plasma influences sperm function and physiology, including sperm motility, the objectives of this study were to characterize the chemistry and protein profiles of Asian elephant seminal plasma and to determine the relationships between seminal plasma components and semen quality. Ejaculates exhibiting good sperm motility (≥65%) expressed higher percentages of spermatozoa with normal morphology (80.3±13.0 vs. 44.9±30.8%) and positive Spermac staining (51.9±14.5 vs. 7.5±14.4%), in addition to higher total volume (135.1±89.6 vs. 88.8±73.1 ml) and lower sperm concentration (473.0±511.2 vs. 1313.8±764.7×106 cells ml−1) compared to ejaculates exhibiting poor sperm motility (≤10%; P<0.05). Comparison of seminal plasma from ejaculates with good versus poor sperm motility revealed significant differences in concentrations of creatine phosphokinase, alanine aminotransferase, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and glucose. These observations suggest seminal plasma influences semen quality in elephants. One- and two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis revealed largely similar compositional profiles of seminal plasma proteins between good and poor motility ejaculates. However, a protein of ∼80 kDa was abundant in 85% of ejaculates with good motility, and was absent in 90% of poor motility ejaculates (P<0.05). We used mass spectrometry to identify this protein as lactotransferrin, and immunoblot analysis to confirm this identification. Together, these findings lay a functional foundation for understanding the contributions of seminal plasma in the regulation of Asian elephant sperm motility, and for improving semen collection and storage in this endangered species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lactotransferrin in Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Seminal Plasma Correlates with Semen Quality

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…After semen collection, aliquots were immediately diluted 1:1 (v:v) with four different, prewarmed (37 8C) semen extenders: (1) Blottner's sorting medium (BSM), a MES[2-(N-morpholi-no)ethane sulfonic acid]-HEPES [N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-piperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid] and skim milkbased medium [35]; (2) MES-HEPES semen extender (MES) [36]; (3) Andromed (Minitüb, Tiefenbach, Germany); (4) Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) [37]. All extenders were supplemented with sodium pyruvate (1.0 mM; as an antioxidant) and EGTA (ethylene glycol bis 2 aminoethyl ether; 2.0 mM; to prevent sperm agglutination).…”

Section: Experiments 1: Effect Of Extender On Quality Of Chilled Rhinomentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of sex-sorting sperm from the white and the black rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis)

Behr¹,

Rath²,

Mueller³

et al. 2009

Theriogenology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…There are various types of media recipes and extender cocktails that are available commercially, and the type of extender that is used for optimal sperm survival may vary according to species and/or the individual (Holt, 2000; Medeiros et al, 2002). Various semen extenders have been examined in an effort to enhance sperm longevity for short‐ and long‐term storage of both African (Jones, 1973; Howard et al, 1986; Buice et al, 1995; O'Brien et al, 1997; Gilmore et al, 1998) and Asian (Kitiyanant et al, 2000; Hedrick and Schmitt, 2001; Graham et al, 2004; Thongtip et al, 2004; Saragusty et al, 2005; Sa‐Ardrit et al, 2006; Hermes et al, 2009) elephant spermatozoa. African elephant spermatozoa have exhibited adequate sperm survival in various types of semen extender (Jones, 1973; Howard et al, 1986; Buice et al, 1995; Gilmore et al, 1998), and TL‐Hepes extender is currently used for transporting fresh extended semen within a 24‐hour period.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid Semen Storage in Elephants (Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africana): Species Differences and Storage Optimization

Kiso

Brown

Siewerdt

et al. 2010

Journal of Andrology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Artificial insemination plays a key role in the genetic management of elephants in zoos. Because freshly extended semen is typically used for artificial insemination in elephants, it has become imperative to optimize conditions for liquid storage and semen transport. The objectives of this study were to examine the interactions between different extenders and storage temperatures on sperm total motility, progressive motility, and acrosomal integrity in Asian (Elephas maximus) and African (Loxodonta africana) elephants. Ejaculates were collected by rectal massage, diluted using a splitsample technique in 5 semen extenders: TL-Hepes (HEP), Modena (MOD), Biladyl (BIL), TEST refrigeration medium (TES), and INRA96 (INR), maintained at 35uC, 22uC, or 4uC. At 0, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours, aliquots were removed and assessed for sperm total motility, progressive motility, and acrosomal integrity. After 24 hours of storage, African elephant spermatozoa exhibited greater longevity and higher values in sperm quality parameters compared with those of Asian elephants. In both species, semen storage at 35uC resulted in a sharp decline in all sperm quality parameters after 4 hours of storage, whereas storage at 22uC and 4uC facilitated sperm survival. In Asian elephants, MOD and HEP were most detrimental, whereas BIL, TES, and INR maintained motility up to 12 hours when spermatozoa were cooled to 22uC or 4uC. In African elephants, there were no differences among extenders. All media maintained good sperm quality parameters at 22uC or 4uC. However, although MOD, BIL, and INR were most effective at lower temperatures, HEP and TES maintained sperm motility at all storage temperatures. This study demonstrated sperm sensitivity to components of various semen extenders and storage temperatures and offers recommendations for semen extender choices for liquid semen storage for both Asian and African elephants.

show abstract

Sperm sex-sorting in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

Cited by 17 publications

References 18 publications

Lactotransferrin in Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Seminal Plasma Correlates with Semen Quality

Lactotransferrin in Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Seminal Plasma Correlates with Semen Quality

Feasibility of sex-sorting sperm from the white and the black rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis)

Liquid Semen Storage in Elephants (Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africana): Species Differences and Storage Optimization

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About