Spermatozoa and seminal plasma small extracellular vesicles miRNAs as biomarkers of boar semen cryotolerance

Seminal plasma contains a large number of extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, the roles of these EVs and their interactions with sperm are not clear. To identify the important molecules affecting sperm motility in EVs, we analyzed RNA from seminal plasma EVs of boars with different sperm motility using whole-transcriptome sequencing and proteomic analysis. In total, 7 miRNAs, 67 lncRNAs, 126 mRNAs and 76 proteins were differentially expressed between the two groups. We observed that EV-miR-222 can obviously improve sperm motility. In addition, the results suggested that miR-222 was transferred into sperm by the EVs and that miR-222 affected sperm apoptosis by inhibiting the expression of EGFR, BCL2L11, BAX, CYCs, CASP9 and CASP3. The results of electron microscopy also showed that overexpression of miR-222 in EVs could reduce sperm apoptosis. The study of the whole transcriptomes and proteomes of EVs in boar semen revealed some miRNAs may play an important role in these EVs interactions with Duroc sperm, and the findings suggest that the release of miR-222 by semen EVs is an important mechanism by which sperm viability is maintained and sperm apoptosis is reduced. Our studies provide a new insight of miR-222 in EVs regulation for sperm motility and sperm apoptosis.

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Thawing boar semen in the presence of seminal plasma improves motility, modifies subpopulation patterns and reduces chromatin alterations

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rd15530 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (8) ◽

pp. 1576 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Rocío Fernández-Gago ◽

Manuel Álvarez-Rodríguez ◽

Marta E. Alonso ◽

J. Ramiro González ◽

Beatriz Alegre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seminal Plasma ◽

Chromatin Structure ◽

Sperm Chromatin ◽

Chromatin Compaction ◽

Sperm Analysis ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Fragmentation Index ◽

Non Linear ◽

Boar Semen ◽

Dna Fragmentation Index

Seminal plasma could have positive effects on boar semen after thawing. In the present study we investigated changes in the motility and chromatin structure in spermatozoa over 4 h incubation (37°C) of boar semen thawed in the presence of 0%, 10% or 50% seminal plasma from good-fertility boars. Cryopreserved doses were used from seven males, three of which were identified as susceptible to post-thawing chromatin alterations. Motility was analysed by computer-aided sperm analysis every hour, and data were used in a two-step clustering, yielding three subpopulations of spermatozoa (slow non-linear, fast non-linear, fast linear). Chromatin structure was analysed using a sperm chromatin structure assay and flow cytometry to determine the DNA fragmentation index (%DFI) as a percentage, the standard deviation of the DFI (SD-DFI) and the percentage of high DNA stainability (%HDS), indicating chromatin compaction. Thawing without seminal plasma resulted in a rapid loss of motility, whereas seminal plasma helped maintain motility throughout the incubation period and preserved the subpopulation comprising fast and linear spermatozoa. The incidence of chromatin alterations was very low in samples from non-susceptible males, whereas samples from males susceptible to post-thawing chromatin alterations exhibited marked alterations in %DFI and %HDS. Seminal plasma partly prevented these alterations in samples from susceptible males. Overall, 50% seminal plasma was the most efficient concentration to protect motility and chromatin. Some changes were concomitant with physiological events reported previously (e.g., semen thawed with 50% seminal plasma increased the production of reactive oxygen species and yielded higher fertility after AI). Thawing in the presence of seminal plasma could be particularly useful in the case of samples susceptible to post-thawing chromatin damage.

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Seasonal changes of steroid concentrations in seminal plasma of a European wild boar

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/acta.0.1070425 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 107 (3) ◽

pp. 425-427 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

D. Schopper ◽

J. Gaus ◽

R. Claus ◽

H. Bader

Keyword(s):

Wild Boar ◽

Seminal Plasma ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Boar Taint ◽

Steroid Production ◽

European Wild Boar ◽

Clear Seasonal Pattern ◽

Boar Semen ◽

Low Levels

Abstract. The influence of season on testicular steroid production as a parameter of testicular function has been studied in a wild boar. Semen was collected once weekly while it served the dummy. In seminal plasma concentrations of the following steroids were determined by radioimmunoassay: unconjugated testosterone, conjugated testosterone, unconjugated total oestrogens, conjugated total oestrogens and 5α-androst-16-en-3-one ('boar-taint steroid'). All steroids showed a clear seasonal pattern with highest concentrations in autumn and early winter and low levels from January to July. Maxima during the rutting season were 10–25 times greater than average values out of season. During a 2-month-period (mid-July until mid-September) libido was abolished and the wild boar refused to mount the dummy. These results indicate that the seasonal variation in testicular steroid production by the wild boar, regulated by photoperiod, are similar to those of the domestic boar.

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Characterization and proteomics of chicken seminal plasma extracellular vesicles

Reproduction in Domestic Animals ◽

10.1111/rda.14033 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xuliang Luo ◽

Yan Guo ◽

Ying Huang ◽

Manman Cheng ◽

Xiaohui Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Seminal Plasma

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Expression Pattern of Seminal Plasma Extracellular Vesicle Small RNAs in Boar Semen

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2020.585276 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Zhiqian Xu ◽

Yanshe Xie ◽

Chen Zhou ◽

Qun Hu ◽

Ting Gu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Expression Pattern ◽

Seminal Plasma ◽

Small Rnas ◽

Extracellular Vesicle ◽

Boar Semen

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The role of seminal plasma extracellular vesicles in changes in the morphofunctional characteristics of human spermatozoa

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MORPHOLOGY ◽

10.31088/cem2021.10.4.5-13 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 5-13

Author(s):

A.P. Sysoeva ◽

◽

N.P. Makarova ◽

E.E. Kraevaya ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Seminal Plasma ◽

Cell Biology ◽

Current Data ◽

Regulatory Function ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

In Vitro Cultivation ◽

Human Fertilization

For a long time, the role of seminal plasma during human fertilization remained underestimated. Numerous studies related to the development of different methods for human embryo in vitro cultivation were gener-ally concerned with the quality of male and female gametes. However, in recent years, the development of Omix technologies provided a new insight into great seminal plasma influence on the morphofunctional characteristics of spermatozoa. This is especially true for the regulatory function of extracellular vesicles secreted by male reproductive tract cells. In this work, we attempted to analyze current data on the influence of extracellular seminal plasma vesicles on the morphofunctional characteristics of spermatozoa to solve male infertility topical issues. The review includes studies by foreign and Russian research groups that werу conducted within the past 5 years and found in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. Very few studies demonstrate that seminal plasma vesicles act as functional regulators of male fertility and their dysfunction may lead to infertility. The use of seminal plasma extracellular vesicles in clinical practice may significantly increase the success of IVF programs, especially in impaired spermatogenesis. Keywords: extracellular vesicles, exosomes, biomarkers, seminal plasma, spermatozoa, assisted reproductive technology, cell biology, morphology

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Detection and characterization of Lactobacillus spp. in the porcine seminal plasma and their influence on boar semen quality

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0202699 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. e0202699 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Martin Schulze ◽

Jana Schäfer ◽

Christian Simmet ◽

Markus Jung ◽

Christoph Gabler

Keyword(s):

Seminal Plasma ◽

Semen Quality ◽

Boar Semen ◽

Lactobacillus Spp

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52 Difference of Seminal Plasma Proteins in Good- and Poor-Freezability Boar Ejaculates

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv30n1ab52 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 165 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Rungruangsak ◽

J. Suwimonteerabutr ◽

S. Asawakarn ◽

K. Buranaamnuay ◽

N. Chantaravisoot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seminal Plasma ◽

Plasma Proteins ◽

Protein Extraction ◽

Normal Morphology ◽

Progressive Motility ◽

Semen Collection ◽

Seminal Plasma Proteins ◽

Boar Semen ◽

One Way Anova ◽

Sperm Functions

Seminal plasma is the semen components that maintain sperm metabolism, pH and osmolality. Fibronectin (FN1) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX5) are the seminal plasma proteins that play an important role on the boar sperm functions. The purpose of the present study was to determine the differences in GPX5 and FN1 contents in the boar semen having good, moderate, and poor freezability. A total of 38 ejaculates from 25 boars with proven fertility were included in the experiment. All the ejaculates included in the study had >70% subjective motility, >75% normal morphology, >75% sperm viability, and volume >100 mL per ejaculate. The semen was collected through semen collection bag with filter and split into 2 portions. The first portion was prepared for the evaluation of seminal plasma proteins (i.e. GPX5 and FN1) and the second portion was cryopreserved and evaluated for post-thaw semen qualities. The seminal plasma samples were collected in cryotube and plug into liquid nitrogen. The samples was stored at –80°C before protein extraction. After thawing, the ejaculates were classified into 3 groups according to their post-thawed sperm motility: poor (14.6 ± 3.9%), modersate (28.5 ± 4.1%), and good (64.0 ± 8.7%) freezability. The amounts of GPX5 and FN1 proteins were evaluated through Western blot analysis. The normalized quantity of proteins was compared among groups by one-way ANOVA. The normalized level of FN1 in seminal plasma was higher in good- than in poor-freezability groups (8.0 ± 0.8% v. 5.7 ± 0.7%, respectively; P < 0.05), but did not differ significantly compared with that of the moderate-freezability group (7.5 ± 0.8%; P > 0.05). The levels of GPX5 in good-, moderate-, and poor-freezability groups were 14.7 ± 3.0%, 16.8 ± 3.2%, and 10.9 ± 3.0%, respectively (P > 0.05). The level of FN1 in seminal plasma was significantly correlated with the post-thaw sperm progressive motility (r = 0.38, P = 0.01), total motility (r = 0.37, P = 0.02), and the proportion of bent tail sperm (r = –0.33, P = 0.04). The level of GPX5 was not correlated with any of the post-thaw sperm qualities (P > 0.05). However, the levels of GPX5 was positively correlated with FN1 (r = 0.40, P = 0.01, n = 38). It can be concluded that FN1 in seminal plasma can be used as a marker of sperm freezability in boar.

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