| Autor: |
Dementieva NV; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Dysin AP; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Shcherbakov YS; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Nikitkina EV; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Musidray AA; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Petrova AV; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Mitrofanova OV; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Plemyashov KV; Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education 'St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine', 196084 St. Petersburg, Russia., Azovtseva AI; Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding-Branch of the L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Pushkin, 196601 St. Petersburg, Russia., Griffin DK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK., Romanov MN; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK.; L. K. Ernst Federal Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Dubrovitsy, 142132 Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia. |
| Abstrakt: |
Cryopreservation is a widely used method of semen conservation in animal breeding programs. This process, however, can have a detrimental effect on sperm quality, especially in terms of its morphology. The resultant sperm disorders raise the risk of reduced sperm fertilizing ability, which poses a serious threat to the long-term efficacy of livestock reproduction and breeding. Understanding the genetic factors underlying these effects is critical for maintaining sperm quality during cryopreservation, and for animal fertility in general. In this regard, we performed a genome-wide association study to identify genomic regions associated with various cryopreservation sperm abnormalities in Holstein cattle, using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers via a high-density genotyping assay. Our analysis revealed a significant association of specific SNPs and candidate genes with absence of acrosomes, damaged cell necks and tails, as well as wrinkled acrosomes and decreased motility of cryopreserved sperm. As a result, we identified candidate genes such as POU6F2 , LPCAT4 , DPYD , SLC39A12 and CACNB2 , as well as microRNAs ( bta-mir-137 and bta-mir-2420 ) that may play a critical role in sperm morphology and disorders. These findings provide crucial information on the molecular mechanisms underlying acrosome integrity, motility, head abnormalities and damaged cell necks and tails of sperm after cryopreservation. Further studies with larger sample sizes, genome-wide coverage and functional validation are needed to explore causal variants in more detail, thereby elucidating the mechanisms mediating these effects. Overall, our results contribute to the understanding of genetic architecture in cryopreserved semen quality and disorders in bulls, laying the foundation for improved animal reproduction and breeding. |
