1998 Froman Sperm Mobility A Quantitative Trait
1998 Froman Sperm Mobility A Quantitative Trait
1.5 standard deviations above the population mean was cat- containing glucose and Ca 2+ as the suspending medium.
egorized as having high sperm mobility. Likewise, any Single-classification ANOVA [8] was used to test for phe-
male whose average value was between 1 standard devia- notypic differences in sperm mobility when ATP synthesis
tion below the mean and the mean was categorized as hav- was limited to either oxidative phosphorylation or glycol-
ing average sperm mobility. ysis.
Sperm ATP content was determined immediately after
ejaculation with a bioluminescence assay kit and lumino-
Evaluation of Sperm Mobility Phenotypes meter (FireZyme Diagnostic Technologies, Ltd., Halifax,
Males categorized by phenotype were evaluated with the Nova Scotia, Canada). In each case, measurements were
sperm penetration assay described above at 45, 53, 58, and based upon a sample of 12.5 106 sperm cells. Single-
62 wk of age (n = 10 males per phenotype). These data classification ANOVA [8] was used to test for phenotypic
were combined with data obtained when roosters were 28 differences in sperm ATP content. The effect of protein
wk of age. Data were analyzed with a split-plot design [12]. phosphatase inhibition on sperm mobility was determined
In addition, males categorized by phenotype were used for as follows. A paired comparison [11] was performed with
sperm from the average phenotype. Sperm were diluted to
HH
15-
Washed sperm were resuspended to a concentration of 5 x
108 sperm/ml in each one of the following media: TES-
buffered saline, TES-buffered saline containing 10 mM glu-
cose, TES-buffered saline containing 10 mM glucose and
1 mM KCN, and TES-buffered saline containing 1 mM
0
n · · · L L--
--
- -
- -- L- - -
-- --
1.2
2.19- E a
& 1& M
O, 0.8
A A
1.69-
A A
m o o
0.4n
1.19 - 0 8o_ 8 8Q 0 _
c.
4:
a
Z5 --
AVERAGE: \HIGH 0 §
0.69-
30 40 50 60
AGE (wk)
0.19I
TABLE 3. Sperm ATP content according to sperm mobility phenotype. TABLE 4. Effect of protein phosphatase inhibition on the mobility of
sperm from males categorized as having average sperm mobility.*
Males ATP*
Phenotype (n) (nmol/109 sperm) Males Absorbance
Treatment (n) units'
Average 10 95 + 19.2A
High 10 220 t 22.2B Control 10 0.226 ± 0.0301A
Calyculin A (500 nM) 10 0.456 + 0.03288
* Each value is a mean ± SEM; measurements were made immediately
after ejaculation. * Measured by sperm penetration of 6% (w:v) Accudenz at 41° C from
A,B Means within a column differ (p < 0.001). an overlay of extended semen; sperm penetration induced a change in
absorbance at 550 nm.
t Each value is a mean SEM.
phenotype relative to observations made under aerobic con- AB Means within a column differ (p < 0.001).
0.84 on the basis of repeated-measure analysis of 49 in- 10. Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ. Biometry. San Francisco: WH Freeman and Co.;
dividuals. This statistic is an upper estimate of heritabil- 1969: 99-126.
11. Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ. Biometry. San Francisco: WH Freeman and Co.;
ity [19]. Therefore, the trait may be highly heritable. In 1969: 299-342.
this regard, it is noteworthy that there is a paucity of 12. Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ. Biometry. San Francisco: WH Freeman and Co.;
information about quantitative reproductive traits in male 1969: 343-366.
poultry [20]. To date, breeders have viewed the motile 13. Kirby JD, Froman DP. Analysis of poultry fertility data. Poult Sci
nature of sperm as an essential but uncontrollable vari- 1990; 69:1764-1768.
able. However, genetic progress may be possible through 14. Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ. Biometry. San Francisco: WH Freeman and Co.;
selection. 1969: 494-548.
15. Amann RP, Hammerstedt RH. In vitro evaluation of sperm quality: an
The third implication of our experimental results per- opinion. J Androl 1993; 14:397-406.
tains to the study of fowl sperm motility itself, which has 16. Howarth B Jr. Fertilizing ability of cock spermatozoa from the testis,
focused on the axoneme [21-30] and the role of second epididymis, and vas deferens following intramagnal insemination.
messengers, extracellular Ca2 + in particular [31-36]. To Biol Reprod 1983; 28:586-590.
date, biochemical data, including that shown in Table 3, 17. Bakst MR, Wishart G, Brillard J-P Oviducal sperm selection, trans-
port, and storage in poultry. Poult Sci Rev 1994; 5:117-143.
reflect averaged values. Such data obscure differences
piration of intact fowl spermatozoa by calyculin A, a specific inhibitor tract of the domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus. Comp Biochem Physiol
of protein phosphatase-l and -2A, via a Ca2 +-dependent mechanism. 1990; 96A:297-301.
J Reprod Fertil 1995; 105:109-114. 38. Ishijima S, Mohri H. Beating patterns of mammalian spermatozoa. In:
37. Ashizawa K, Sano R. Effects of temperature on the immobilization Gagnon C (ed.), Controls of Sperm Motility-Biological and Clinical
and the initiation of motility of spermatozoa in the male reproductive Aspects. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 1990: 29-42.