Studies Into the Significance of Distal Cytoplasmic Droplets in Porcine Semen
Kuster, Christopher Eric
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/87123
Description
Title
Studies Into the Significance of Distal Cytoplasmic Droplets in Porcine Semen
Author(s)
Kuster, Christopher Eric
Issue Date
2003
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Gary C. Althouse
Department of Study
Veterinary Clinical Medicine
Discipline
Veterinary Clinical Medicine
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Biology, Cell
Language
eng
Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine what effect, if any, retained distal cytoplasmic droplets (DD) have on porcine fertility under the conditions prevailing in the US swine industry today. In Trial I, 667 ejaculates from 192 boars were utilized in a timed, double insemination of 5,926 multiparous sows. Experimental groups consisted of heterospermic doses containing either 3 x 109 total sperm with normal morphology exceeding 80% (TSN), 3 x 109 'viable' sperm with normal morphology exceeding 80% (VIABLE), 3 x 109 total sperm with a mean of 25.6% DD and fewer than 20% other morphological abnormalities (DD), and one group with 3 x 109 total sperm containing three ejaculates with normal morphology exceeding 80% and one ejaculate with ≥15% DD and fewer than 20% other morphological abnormalities (COMP). Farrowing rates did not differ between the groups. Mean litter sizes were reduced in the DD group compared to VIABLE and COMP (P < 0.05). In Trial II, double inseminations of 886 multiparous sows were conducted with heterospermic doses with normal sperm morphology exceeding 80% and either 3 x 10 9 total sperm (TSN2) or 3 x 109 'viable' sperm (VIABLE2) in a split-ejaculate design. No statistically significant differences were detected in either farrowing rate or litter size in Trial II. Utilizing only ejaculates containing ≥15% DD in semen pools with a mean retained DD content of 25% may reduce litter size by up to 0.5 piglets per litter, while including one DD ejaculate in a pool with three morphologically normal ejaculates is a method to more efficiently utilize ejaculates without adversely affecting sow fecundity. For heterospermic inseminations, adjusting sperm numbers based on motility and/or morphology appears to be unnecessary when total sperm numbers per dose are ≥3 x 109 and ejaculates are screened to meet minimum quality guidelines. Laboratory techniques demonstrated ubiquitin in DD retained in situ on boar sperm. The demonstrated presence of antigens recognized by anti-ubiquitin antibodies in the boar sperm CD, coupled with the possibility that superfluous ubiquitin species may be detrimental to embryonic development through targeted destruction of critical paternally contributed zygotic organelles, raises concerns that retained DD may be more detrimental to fecundity than previously suspected.
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