Expression and Role of PIWI Proteins and piRNAs in Reproduction of Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, Linn.)

High-fertile and productive dairy animals are important to satisfy the growing population's demand. Sire fertility is one of the essential factors that regulate the overall pregnancy rate of dairy herds. However, sire fertility varies from 10 to 90%, suggesting that male fertility largely accounts for varying fertility levels across the herd. Sub-fertile bulls and females should be identified and discarded promptly to improve the dairy herd's productivity. The most dominant factors implicated in culling are poor semen quality, poor semen freezability (<35% post-thaw motility), and poor libido for the bulls and hard breeders for females that cause huge economic loss to the raisers. Understanding the basic mechanism of male and female fertility has undergone tremendous change in recent times owing to the advancement of molecular tools judging the essential molecules responsible for fertility. Presently, a new molecular niche has surfaced in testes, strongly influencing the fertilization potential of spermatozoa. Over the last decade, there has arrived a conclusion that out of several factors, piRNA and PIWI proteins are largely implicated in regulating the vital aspects of fertility and embryogenesis. While this development is advancing in other animals, very limited information is available on PIWI protein and piRNAs in large animals. Except for a few sporadic information on PIWI protein in cattle, very limited information is available on piRNAs and PIWI protein in regulation with buffalo bull fertility and growth of embryos of buffaloes, posting a huge demand for research

Supplementing a skimmed milk-egg yolk-based extender with L-carnitine helps maintain the motility, membrane integrity and fertilizing capacity of chilled ram sperm

Este estudio examina el efecto de la L-carnitina (LC) en el semen de carnero refrigerado almacenado hasta por 96 horas. Se recogieron muestras de semen, se colocaron en un diluyentes a base de leche desnatada + 6% de yema de huevo, se agruparon, se dividieron en alícuotas y se diluyeron con el mismo diluyente suplementado con diferentes concentraciones de LC: 0 (control), 1 mM (LC1), 2.5 mM (LC2.5) , 5 mM (LC5), 7,5 mM (LC7.5) o 10 mM (LC10). La cinética de los espermatozoides y las membranas (plasma, acrosoma y mitocondrial) se examinaron utilizando el sistema CASA y la tinción de fluorescencia triple (PI / PNA FITC / Mitotracker). La motilidad progresiva fue mayor (p 0,05). En general, los resultados actuales sugieren que complementar los diluyentes a base de leche descremada-yema de huevo con LC tiene un efecto positivo en las variables de esperma refrigerado y la capacidad de fertilizaciónThis study examines the effect of L-carnitine (LC) on chilled ram semen stored for up to 96 hr. Semen samples were collected, placed in a skimmed milk + 6% egg yolk extender, pooled, aliquoted and diluted with the same extender supplemented with different LC concentration: 0 (control), 1 mM (LC1), 2.5 mM (LC2.5), 5 mM (LC5), 7.5 mM (LC7.5) or10 mM (LC10). Sperm kinetics and membranes (plasma, acrosome and mitochondrial) were examined using the CASA system and triple fluorescence staining (PI/ PNA-FITC/Mitotracker). The progressive motility was greater (p .05). Overall, the present results suggest that supplementing skimmed milk-egg yolk-based extenders with LC has a positive effect on chilled sperm variables and fertilizing capacity