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Home / Equine Research Bank / Reprod Domest Anim / First evidence for the presence of aquaporins in stallion sp...
Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene2017; 52 Suppl 4; 61-64; doi: 10.1111/rda.13059

First evidence for the presence of aquaporins in stallion sperm.

Abstract: Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane proteins found in all cells and are responsible for the transport of water and small solutes. While these proteins have been found in the spermatozoa of humans, rodents, pigs and cattle, where not only do they play a role for the regulation of sperm volume but are also related with the sperm resilience to withstand freeze-thawing procedures, their presence in stallion sperm is yet to be reported. Therefore, the objectives of this work were as follows: (i) to determine whether AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 are present in stallion sperm and (ii) to investigate whether the relative amounts of these three AQPs play any role in the cryopreservation success. With this purpose, a total of five ejaculates from healthy stallions were collected. Evaluation of sperm quality and immunoblotting against these three proteins were performed before and after cryopreservation. Immunoblots confirmed the presence of AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 in all examined samples. Subsequently, ejaculates were classified as GFE (good) and PFE (poor freezability ejaculates), according to their sperm viability and motility at 0 and 2 hr post-thaw. Relative AQP3 and AQP11 contents in stallion fresh semen were found to be significantly (p < .05) higher in GFE than in PFE. In conclusion, the current study has confirmed, for the first time, the presence of AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 in stallion sperm. In addition, despite preliminary, our results suggest that AQP3 and AQP11 are involved in the resilience of stallion sperm to withstand cryopreservation. Ongoing research is aimed at increasing the sample size and includes immunolocalization studies.
© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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Publication Date: 2017-10-21 PubMed ID: 29052325DOI: 10.1111/rda.13059Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research paper investigates the presence of aquaporins (specifically AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11) in stallion sperm and their potential role in successful sperm cryopreservation.

Overview of the Research

  • This research is premised on the understanding that Aquaporins (AQPs) – transport proteins found in cell membranes – play a role in the regulation of sperm volume and also enhance the sperm’s resistance to freeze-thaw processes. The presence and role of these proteins have already been established in various species like humans, rodents, pigs and cattle.

Objectives of the Research

  • The first objective of this research was to discover whether AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 exist in stallion sperm, which had previously not been reported.
  • The second objective was to explore if these three AQPs impact the success of sperm cryopreservation. This is a process where sperm cells are frozen to preserve them for future use.

Research Methodology

  • Researchers collected five ejaculate samples from healthy stallions.
  • They then evaluated sperm quality and performed immunoblotting (a technique for detecting specific proteins) for AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 before and after cryopreservation.

Findings of the Research

  • The immunoblots revealed the presence of AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 in all examined samples, which confirms for the first time that these AQPs exist in stallion sperm.
  • Ejaculates were classified into two categories: good freezability ejaculates (GFE) and poor freezability ejaculates (PFE), based on sperm motility and viability post-thaw.
  • The study found that the fresh semen from stallions had significantly higher (p < .05) amounts of AQP3 and AQP11 in GFE than in PFE. This suggests a correlation between the presence of these two AQPs and the sperm's resilience to cryopreservation.

Conclusion and Future Research

  • The study has established, for the first time, the presence of AQP3, AQP7 and AQP11 in stallion sperm. Additionally, initial results indicate that AQP3 and AQP11 may play a critical role in the freeze-thaw resilience of stallion sperm.
  • However, the researchers acknowledge that the study is preliminary and future research is necessary to include a larger sample size and further studies into immunolocalization.

Cite This Article

APA
Bonilla-Correal S, Noto F, Garcia-Bonavila E, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Yeste M, Miro J. (2017). First evidence for the presence of aquaporins in stallion sperm. Reprod Domest Anim, 52 Suppl 4, 61-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.13059

Publication

Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene
ISSN: 1439-0531
NlmUniqueID: 9015668
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 52 Suppl 4
Pages: 61-64

Researcher Affiliations

Bonilla-Correal, S
  • Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Noto, F
  • Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Garcia-Bonavila, E
  • Department of Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
Rodríguez-Gil, J E
  • Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Yeste, M
  • Department of Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
Miro, J
  • Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Aquaporins / metabolism
  • Cryopreservation / veterinary
  • Freezing
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Semen Analysis / veterinary
  • Semen Preservation / veterinary
  • Sperm Motility
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism

Citations

This article has been cited 14 times.
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  11. Herrera F, Bondarenko O, Boryshpolets S. Osmoregulation in fish sperm. Fish Physiol Biochem 2021 Jun;47(3):785-795.
    doi: 10.1007/s10695-021-00958-1pubmed: 34076793google scholar: lookup
  12. Delgado-Bermúdez A, Llavanera M, Recuero S, Mateo-Otero Y, Bonet S, Barranco I, Fernandez-Fuertes B, Yeste M. Effect of AQP Inhibition on Boar Sperm Cryotolerance Depends on the Intrinsic Freezability of the Ejaculate. Int J Mol Sci 2019 Dec 11;20(24).
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  13. Delgado-Bermúdez A, Noto F, Bonilla-Correal S, Garcia-Bonavila E, Catalán J, Papas M, Bonet S, Miró J, Yeste M. Cryotolerance of Stallion Spermatozoa Relies on Aquaglyceroporins rather than Orthodox Aquaporins. Biology (Basel) 2019 Nov 12;8(4).
    doi: 10.3390/biology8040085pubmed: 31726707google scholar: lookup
  14. Delgado-Bermúdez A, Llavanera M, Fernández-Bastit L, Recuero S, Mateo-Otero Y, Bonet S, Barranco I, Fernández-Fuertes B, Yeste M. Aquaglyceroporins but not orthodox aquaporins are involved in the cryotolerance of pig spermatozoa. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2019;10:77.
    doi: 10.1186/s40104-019-0388-8pubmed: 31636902google scholar: lookup
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