Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Reprod Domest Anim. 2023 Oct;58(10):1379-1392. doi: 10.1111/rda.14453. Epub 2023 Aug 17.
The present study evaluated the seminal plasma metabolome of Bos indicus Guzerá bulls with good (n = 4) and poor (n = 5) sperm freezability. Animals were raised in natural pasture of a 'Caatinga' ecosystem, in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Seminal plasma samples were subjected to gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and data, analysed using bioinformatics tools (Cytoscape with the MetScape plug-in). Sixty-two metabolites were identified in the bovine seminal plasma. Fatty acids and conjugates and organic compounds were the predominant seminal fluid metabolites, followed by carboxylic acids and derivatives, amino acids, benzenes and steroids and derivatives, carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates and prenol lipids. Multivariate analysis indicated a distinct separation of seminal plasma metabolomes from bulls with contrasting sperm freezability. Abundances of propanoic acid, d-ribose and glycine were greater in the seminal plasma of bulls with good sperm freezability. Heptadecanoic acid and undecanoic acid were the predominant in bulls of poor sperm freezability. Propanoic acid is an energy source for spermatozoa and may act as an antimicrobial component in semen. Glycine acts against oxidizing and denaturing reactions. d-ribose is also an energy source and reduces apoptosis and oxidative stress. Undecanoic acid may protect sperm against fungal damage. This study provides fundamental information approximately the seminal plasma metabolome of tropically adapted bulls and its association with sperm freezability. However, further studies with larger groups of animals are needed to validate those metabolites as markers of sperm freezability. This strategy could support the selection of sires with superior sperm cryoresistance.
本研究评估了具有良好（n=4）和较差（n=5）冻精能力的印度野牛精液等离子代谢组。动物在巴西半干旱地区的“卡廷加”生态系统的天然牧场上饲养。对精液等离子体样本进行气相色谱-质谱联用分析，并使用生物信息学工具（Cytoscape 搭配 MetScape 插件）分析数据。在牛精液中鉴定出 62 种代谢物。脂肪酸及其共轭物和有机化合物是主要的精液代谢物，其次是羧酸及其衍生物、氨基酸、苯和甾体及其衍生物、碳水化合物及其碳水化合物共轭物和prenol 脂质。多元分析表明，具有不同冻精能力的公牛的精液等离子体代谢组存在明显分离。具有良好冻精能力的公牛精液中丙酸、d-核糖和甘氨酸的丰度较高。十七酸和十一酸是冻精能力差的公牛中的主要物质。丙酸是精子的能量来源，可能在精液中发挥抗菌成分的作用。甘氨酸可以对抗氧化和变性反应。d-核糖也是一种能量来源，可以减少细胞凋亡和氧化应激。十一酸可能可以保护精子免受真菌损伤。本研究提供了关于适应热带地区的公牛精液等离子代谢组及其与冻精能力关系的基本信息。然而，需要对更多的动物进行更大规模的研究，以验证这些代谢物是否可以作为冻精能力的标志物。这种策略可以支持对具有更高精子抗冷冻能力的种公牛的选择。
