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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #391395
Research Project: Improving Livestock Production by Developing Reproductive and Precision Management Technologies

Location: Livestock Bio-Systems

Title: Use of sperm in vitro capacitation and flow cytometry to estimate bull fertility

Author
item MENEGATTI ZOCA, SAULO - South Dakota State University
item Geary, Thomas
item Zezeski, Abby
item KERNS, KARL - University Of Iowa
item DALTON, JOSEPH - University Of Idaho
item HARSTINE, BO - Select Sires, Inc
item UTT, MATTHEW - Select Sires, Inc
item Cushman, Robert - Bob
item WALKER, JULIE - South Dakota State University
item PERRY, GEORGE - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Extension Reports
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2022
Publication Date: 2/5/2022
Citation: Menegatti Zoca, S., Geary, T.W., Zezeski, A.L., Kerns, K.C., Dalton, J.C., Harstine, B.R., Utt, M.D., Cushman, R.A., Walker, J.A., Perry, G.A. 2022. Use of sperm in vitro capacitation and flow cytometry to estimate bull fertility. South Dakota State University Beef Day 2022 Summary Publication. 66-75.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Frozen-thawed semen from five bulls previously identified as high (48.1% and 47.7%, bulls A and B, respectively), intermediary (45.5%, bull C) or low (43.1% and 40.7%, bulls D and E, respectively) fertility, based on pregnancy per AI, were evaluated with several laboratory measures. Measures included total motility, sperm plasma membrane integrity (viability), acrosome integrity, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane energy potential (mito-potential), zinc signatures (signatures 1 to 4), and CD9 protein populations at pre-wash, post-wash, h 0 (diluted with non-capacitation media), and at 0, 3, 6, and 24 h after dilution with capacitation media and incubation at 37 ºC. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS for repeated measures with bull, time, and the interaction as fixed effects. Bull by time interaction was significant (P = 0.01) for total motility and viability. There tended (P = 0.06) to be a bull by time interaction for zinc signatures 1 + 2 combined. There was a significant effect of bull (P = 0.03) for viability, viable sperm with disrupted acrosome, zinc signatures 1, 2, and 1 + 2, viable CD9- (CD9 negative), and dead CD9+ (CD9 positive). High and intermediary field fertility bulls had greater (P = 0.04) percentages of viable sperm, zinc signature 2, and zinc signature 1 + 2 compared to low fertility bulls. High and intermediary fertility bulls had decreased (P = 0.05) percentage of dead CD9+ compared to low fertility bulls. There was or tended to be a positive correlation between pregnancy per AI and viability (P = 0.10; r = 0.81), zinc signature 2 (P = 0.04; r = 0.89), and zinc signature 1 + 2 (P = 0.10; r = 0.80).