Evaluation of domestic animal sperm head morphology via flow cytometric DNA labelling and pulse shape analysis using bull and stallion spermatozoa as model species

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to test a rapid, robust flow cytometric technique for the detection of sperm head abnormalities of domestic bulls and stallions. The so-called PulSA approach detects the pulse profiles of propidium-iodide labelled spermatozoa. In the first experiment, species-specific threshold values were established on sperm samples that were tested for sperm head abnormalities with a classic visual morphology analysis. In the second experiment, serial mixtures of bull and stallion spermatozoa mimicking different percentages of sperm head abnormalities were analysed. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed a clear separation between the normal and mixed samples. The PulSA approach may be a useful tool in identifying sub- or infertile breeding males as well as in studying the evolutionary aspects of sperm morphology and morphometry.

Keywords

abnormalities; bull; PulSA; sperm quality; stallion

Published in

Reproduction in Domestic Animals
2023, volume: 58, number: 11, pages: 1569-1575
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Johannisson, Anders

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Uppsala University

UKÄ Subject classification

Clinical Science
Animal and Dairy Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.14472

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/126499