iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis of sperm reveals candidate proteins that affect the quality of spermatozoa from boars on plateaus

Effect of fumigation height and time on cryopreservation of ram semen

The cooling rate is a crucial factor in the process of freezing semen, influencing the overall freezing effectiveness. The height and time of fumigation can significantly impact the rate of cooling. Appropriate cooling rates can help minimize the formation of ice crystals in spermatozoa and reduce potential damage to them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different fumigation heights and time for the cryopreservation of Hu ram semen. Experiments I-IV assessed the effect of semen cryopreservation by testing the post-thawed spermatozoa total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM) and kinetic parameters fumigated at distances of 2, 4, 6 and 8 cm for durations of 5, 10, 15 and 20 min, respectively. Based on the results of experiments I to IV, experiment V evaluated the effect of semen cryopreservation by testing the post-thawed spermatozoa TM, PM, kinetic parameters, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level fumigated at distances of 2, 4, 6 and 8 cm for duration of 20 min. The results indicated that fumigation at 2 cm for 20 min significantly (P < 0.05) improved spermatozoa TM, PM, mean angular displacement (MAD), plasma membrane integrity and acrosome integrity compared to other groups. Additionally, it significantly (P < 0.05) reduced spermatozoa ROS level compared to the 6 and 8 cm groups. In conclusion, fumigation for 20 min at a distance of 2 cm from the liquid nitrogen surface is the most suitable cooling method for the cryopreservation of Hu ram semen.

Rapid adaptive and acute stimulatory responses to low salinity stress in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei): Insights from integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis

The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is a euryhaline crustacean capable of tolerating a wide range of ambient salinity, but the strategies of hepatopancreas to rapid adaptive or acute stimulatory responses to extremely low salinity fluctuations remains unclear. In this study, we integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses on the hepatopancreas derived from rapid adaptative (RA) and acute stimulatory (AS) responses to extremely low salinity stress (0.3 ppt) to unveil specific regulatory mechanisms. The RA group displayed normal epithelial cells and tubule structures, while the AS group showed histological changes and lesions. A total of 754 and 649 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in RA and AS treatments, respectively. For proteome, a total of 206 and 66 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were obtained in the RA/CT and AS/CT comparison groups, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were conducted among the DEGs and DEPs, revealing that metabolic related pathways were significantly enriched pathways in both comparison groups. In addition, correlation analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic results showed that 20 and 3 pairs of DEGs/DEPs were identified in RA vs. CT and AS vs. CT comparison groups, respectively. This study is the first report on the rapid adaptive and acute stimulatory transcriptomic and proteomic responses of L. vannamei to extremely low salinity, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying osmoregulation in euryhaline crustaceans.

Quantitative proteomics analysis reveals the key proteins related to semen quality in Niangya yaks

BACKGROUND

Proteins related to sperm motility and sperm morphology have an important impact on sperm function such as metabolism, motility and fertilisation etc. An understanding of the key proteins related to semen quality in Niangya yaks would help to provide support for breeding. However, the key proteins that affect semen quality in Niangya yaks remain unclear.

METHODS

Herein, we applied tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) to analyze the expression levels of sperm proteins in groups of high- and low-quality semen from Niangya yaks. And fifteen differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were randomly selected for expression level validation by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM).

RESULTS

Of the 2,092 quantified proteins, 280 were identified as DEPs in the high-quality group versus the low-quality group. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that in terms of biological pathways, the DEPs were mainly involved in metabolic processes, cell transformation processes, and single organism metabolic processes. In terms of cell composition, the DEPs were mainly located in the cell membrane, organelle, molecular complex. In terms of molecular functions, the most abundant functions of the DEPs were catalytic activity, binding activity, transport activity, and enzyme regulation activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that the DEPs were mainly involved in the cytokine and cytokine receptor interaction, notch signaling pathway, lysine biosynthesis, renal function-related protein and proteasome pathway. From protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of DEPs involved in important pathways, 6 related proteins affecting the semen quality of Niangya yaks were identified. And the results of the PRM and TMT analysis were consistent.

CONCLUSIONS

The differential sperm proteomic analysis of high- and low-quality semen from Niangya yaks, revealed 6 proteins (PSMC5, PSMD8, PSMB3, HSP90AA1, UGP2 and HSPB1), were mainly concentrated in energy production and metabolism, might play important roles in semen quality, which could serve as candidates for the selection and breeding of Niangya yaks.

ADGB variants cause asthenozoospermia and male infertility

Asthenozoospermia is one of the main factors leading to male infertility, but the genetic mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Variants in the androglobin (ADGB) gene were identified in an infertile male characterized by asthenozoospermia. The variants disrupted the binding of ADGB to calmodulin. Adgb-/- male mice were infertile due to reduced sperm concentration (< 1 × 106 /mL) and motility. Spermatogenesis was also abnormal, with malformation of both elongating and elongated spermatids, and there was an approximately twofold increase in apoptotic cells in the cauda epididymis. These exacerbated the decline in sperm motility. It is surprising that ICSI with testicular spermatids allows fertilization and eventually develops into blastocyst. Through mass spectrometry, we identified 42 candidate proteins that are involved in sperm assembly, flagella formation, and sperm motility interacting with ADGB. In particular, CFAP69 and SPEF2 were confirmed to bind to ADGB. Collectively, our study suggests the potential important role of ADGB in human fertility, revealing its relevance to spermatogenesis and infertility. This expands our knowledge of the genetic causes of asthenozoospermia and provides a theoretical basis for using ADGB as an underlying genetic marker for infertile males.

Integration of omics studies indicates that species-dependent molecular mechanisms govern male fertility

BACKGROUND

Comparative and comprehensive omics studies have recently been conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying infertility. However, because these huge omics datasets often contain irrelevant information, editing strategies for summarizing and filtering the data are necessary prerequisite steps for identifying biomarkers of male fertility. Here, we attempted to integrate omics data from spermatozoa with normal and below-normal fertility from boars and bulls, including transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted and visualized using g:Profiler, Cytoscape, EnrichmentMap, and AutoAnnotation to determine fertility-related biological functions according to species.

RESULTS

In particular, gamete production and protein biogenesis-associated pathways were enriched in bull spermatozoa with below-normal fertility, whereas mitochondrial-associated metabolic pathways were enriched in boar spermatozoa with normal fertility. These results indicate that below-normal fertility may be determined by aberrant regulation of protein synthesis during spermatogenesis, and the modulation of reactive oxygen species generation to maintain capacitation and the acrosome reaction governs boar sperm fertility.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this approach demonstrated that distinct molecular pathways drive sperm fertility in mammals in a species-dependent manner. Moreover, we anticipate that searching for species-specific signaling pathways may aid in the discovery of fertility-related biomarkers within large omics datasets.

Nutrigenomics in livestock sector and its human-animal interface-a review

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Nutrigenomics unfolds the link between nutrition and gene expression for productivity.expression profile of intramuscular.

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Nutrigenomics helps scientists discover genes and DNA in each animal's cell or tissue by assisting them in selecting nutrients.

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It brings out the importance of micronutrition for increasing animal production.

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Nutrigenomics integrates nutrition, molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, molecular medicine, and epidemiology.

Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer now outnumber all other health ailments in humans globally due to abrupt changes in lifestyle following the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution has also intensified livestock farming, resulting in an increased demand for productivity and stressed animals. The livestock industry faces significant challenges from a projected sharp increase in global food and high animal protein demand. Nutrition genomics holds great promise for the future as its advances have opened up a whole new world of disease understanding and prevention. Nutrigenomics is the study of the interactions between genes and diet. It investigates molecular relationships between nutrients and genes to identify how even minor modifications could potentially alter animal and human health/performance by using techniques like proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics. Dietary modifications mostly studied in livestock focus mainly on health and production traits through protein, fat, mineral, and vitamin supplementation changes. Nutrigenomics meticulously selects nutrients for fine-tuning the expression of genes that match animal/human genotypes for better health, productivity, and the environment. As a step forward, nutrigenomics integrates nutrition, molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, molecular medicine, and epidemiology to better understand the role of food as an epigenetic factor in the occurrence of these diseases. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts, latest advances, and studies in the field of nutrigenomics, emphasizing the interaction of diet with gene expression, and how it relates to human and animal health along with its human-animal interphase.

Applications of Omics Technology for Livestock Selection and Improvement

Conventional animal selection and breeding methods were based on the phenotypic performance of the animals. These methods have limitations, particularly for sex-limited traits and traits expressed later in the life cycle (e.g., carcass traits). Consequently, the genetic gain has been slow with high generation intervals. With the advent of high-throughput omics techniques and the availability of multi-omics technologies and sophisticated analytic packages, several promising tools and methods have been developed to estimate the actual genetic potential of the animals. It has now become possible to collect and access large and complex datasets comprising different genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phonemics data as well as animal-level data (such as longevity, behavior, adaptation, etc.,), which provides new opportunities to better understand the mechanisms regulating animals’ actual performance. The cost of omics technology and expertise of several fields like biology, bioinformatics, statistics, and computational biology make these technology impediments to its use in some cases. The population size and accurate phenotypic data recordings are other significant constraints for appropriate selection and breeding strategies. Nevertheless, omics technologies can estimate more accurate breeding values (BVs) and increase the genetic gain by assisting the section of genetically superior, disease-free animals at an early stage of life for enhancing animal productivity and profitability. This manuscript provides an overview of various omics technologies and their limitations for animal genetic selection and breeding decisions.

Chlorogenic Acid Improves Quality of Chilled Ram Sperm by Mitigating Oxidative Stress

Simple Summary

Sheep sperm is extremely sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can produce a large amount of ROS during chilling storage, leading to a decline in semen quality. Adding antioxidants is an important method to improve semen quality. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a kind of plant extract with an antioxidant capacity, which can effectively eliminate free radicals and improve the antioxidant capacity of semen. However, its role in the chilling storage of Hu ram semen is not clear. Therefore, CGA with different concentrations was added to chilling storage extender to investigate its effect on chilled ram sperm. The results of this study revealed that CGA with proper concentration had a positive effect on chilled Hu ram sperm and 0.8 mg/mL CGA had the best effect.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the addition of chlorogenic acid (CGA) to a sheep semen extender could improve the quality of chilled sheep sperm. Ejaculates (n = 80) were collected from five Hu rams with an artificial vagina. The ejaculates were mixed and divided into five equal parts, diluted with a CGA-free Tris–egg yolk extender (control), or supplemented with 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 mg/mL. The sperm kinematic parameters (viability, progressive motility), functional integrity of plasma membrane and acrosome, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration and antioxidant parameters (Catalase (CAT), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), ROS level and Malondialdehyde (MDA) content) were evaluated during storage of the semen. The results indicated that: PM, plasmatic membrane integrity and acrosomal integrity in 0.8 mg/mL CGA were higher (p < 0.05) from day 1 to 5. The ROS level in CGA groups was lower than the control (p < 0.05). CAT, SOD, ATP, and T-AOC were highest at 0.8 mg/mL concentration within 1 to 5 days. The above results indicated that the right concentration of CGA improved the quality of Hu ram sperm during chilling storage.