A preliminary study on epigenetic changes during boar spermatozoa cryopreservation.
Artificial insemination (AI) with cryopreserved boar semen is limited to no more than 1% of the total number of inseminations due to low conception rates and litter sizes. Cryopreservation causes a dramatic decrease in the viability, motility and fertility of spermatozoa, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, mRNA expression and protein levels of epigenetic-related genes (Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b, Jhdm2a, Kat8, Prm1, Prm2 and IGF2) in fresh and cryopreserved boar spermatozoa were evaluated using qRT-PCR and ELISA. The results showed that cryopreservation or freezing, which drastically alter the environmental stimuli, can induce epigenetic changes of boar spermatozoa. Dramatic changes of mRNA expression of epigenetic-related genes were observed before and after cryopreservation, and low protein levels of multiple genes were mainly found in program freezing groups with or without LEY. The addition of different cryoprotective agents to the freezing extender can provide better protective effects for boar spermatozoa to avoid freezing or cryopreservation-induced expression changes of epigenetic-related genes.
['Zeng|Changjun|C|', 'Peng|Wenpei|W|', 'Ding|Li|L|', 'He|Lian|L|', 'Zhang|Yan|Y|', 'Fang|Donghui|D|', 'Tang|Keyi|K|']
D000818:Animals D002470:Cell Survival D015925:Cryopreservation D003451:Cryoprotective Agents D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic D005990:Glycerol D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases D056466:Histone Demethylases D007315:Insemination, Artificial D008297:Male D011479:Protamines D012333:RNA, Messenger D012662:Semen Preservation D013002:Somatomedins D013081:Sperm Motility D013094:Spermatozoa D034421:Sus scrofa D014199:Trehalose
Epigenetic changes Boar spermatozoa cryopreservation qRT-PCR ELISA Spermatozoa viability and motility