无卵黄冷冻液冷冻食蟹猴精液方法的优化

目的 由于传统的精子冷冻液存在卵黄等不确定成分,具有生物污染的风险.因此,本研究旨在利用Origio及Quinn's两种商品化无卵黄冻存液保存食蟹猴种质资源并确定食蟹猴精子最佳冻存条件.方法 利用阴茎电刺激收集雄猴精液,使用两种冻存液按不同体积比与精液混合后悬挂于液氮表面不同高度冻存食蟹猴精子.复苏后,统计精子存活率、...     

糖在猕猴精子低温冷冻保存过程中的作用

TTE或TEST防冻液在冻存猕猴精子时产生不同结果,其主要不同在于防冻液中糖成分的不同。本实验利用透射电镜技术检测这2种防冻液冻存的猕猴精子冷冻前后超微结构的变化,以说明糖在低温冻存过程中的作用。结果表明,冷冻复苏过程对精子结构产生了影响。TTE法低浊保存的猕猴精子的头部的质膜出现少许皱褶或泡化现象,但精子的顶体、核或是精子尾部的结构与鲜精的结构基本相似。猕猴精子经TEST法低温保存后,大部分精子结构则发生了明显的变化。精子膜、顶体和精子核明显泡化、损伤或破裂,精子尾部不能分辨出正常的超微结构。这提示,可能由于TTE防冻液中复杂的糖成分在降温／复苏过程对精子起到了较好的协同冷冻保护作用;而TEST防冻液中单一的糖成分不能完全保护精子避免低温损伤,低温保存过程破坏了精子的结构,并影响了复苏后精子体外存活能力与受精能力。     

国家斑马鱼资源中心的资源、技术和服务建设

随着我国斑马鱼研究群体的日益壮大,对各类斑马鱼研究资源和技术的需求日益增加,国家斑马鱼资源中心(China Zebrafish Resource Center, CZRC, 网址:http://zfish.cn)于2012年在中国科学院水生生物研究所成立。目前,CZRC已发展成为国内规模最大的单体斑马鱼养殖系统,建成包含1200多个斑马鱼品系和10 000余份冻存精子的斑马鱼资源保藏库,其中有超过200个突变和转基因品系是由CZRC自主创制。在此基础上,CZRC建立了安全规范的斑马鱼养殖和健康平台、高效的基因操作平台和稳定高效的精子冻存平台。CZRC致力于为国内外从事斑马鱼研究的科研人员提供各类服务,包括提供斑马鱼品系等资源服务、转基因和基因敲除等技术服务、养殖和健康等咨询服务,以及技术培训和学术会议服务等。经过5年的建设,CZRC已成为国际学术界公认的全球三大斑马鱼资源库之一。     

低温和超低温保存对中国大鲵成熟精子的影响

中国大鲵Andrias davidianus是中国特有的一种濒危有尾两栖类动物,为了保护这一珍稀物种并且为中国大鲵人工辅助繁育建立一套可靠的技术,对中国大鲵的精子在0—4℃下低温短期保存和在液氮中超低温长期保存进行了研究。研究表明中国大鲵精子原液在常温下一般仅存活3—5h,4℃下能存活6d,0℃下存活时间可达9d。精子原液中添加Ringer氏液或Holtferter氏液,精子存活率比原液保存显著降低。在改良的超低温冻存条件下,中国大鲵精子在液氮中保存两周后解冻,精子复苏率可达10%—15%。利用扫描和透射电镜观察冻融前后中国大鲵精子的超微结构,发现受冷冻损伤精子质膜出现膨胀、破裂;精子穿孔器和轴丝显著弯曲,甚至断裂;波动膜明显脱落或膜结构损坏;精子线粒体嵴变形。结果表明,超低温冻存导致部分中国大鲵精子超微结构发生变化而产生冻伤,进而导致精子活力、复苏率下降。研究为建立规范化的中国大鲵精液保存程序和中国大鲵规模化人工繁育提供重要参考。     

黄鳝精液-80℃超低温冷冻保存试验

采用-80℃超低温冷冻方法对黄鳝精液冷冻保存技术进行了研究.获得如下结果:黄鳝精子在冻存前不需低温平衡过程;10%DMSO作为抗冻保护剂效果最好,以200 μL离心管为冻存容器,保存168 h,精子相对活力可达79%;以细管为冻存容器,精子相对活力可达88%.此结果为黄鳝精子冷冻保存库的建立提供了实验依据.     

非人灵长类动物精子冻存技术的研究进展

随着生物医学技术的发展,应用非人灵长类动物模型进行基础科学研究日益广泛。与此同时,由于栖息地破坏、狩猎和基因隔离,许多非人灵长类动物濒临灭绝。因此,改进非人灵长类动物精子冻存技术对物种遗传资源的保藏具有重要的意义。本文概述了非人灵长类动物的精液特征,介绍了精液液化和冷冻精子质量评估的方法,分析了冷冻保护剂、冷冻稀释液及冷冻方法等因素对精子冻存效果的影响,总结了目前非人灵长类精子冷冻常用的冷冻保存液和冷冻方法,并对相关精子参数进行了比较,同时探讨了非人灵长类动物精子冻存研究面临的困境,并提出了可行的方案。总之,本文综述了近年来非人灵长类动物精子冻存的重要研究成果,对开发新的冷冻保护剂及改进冷冻技术具有一定的参考价值。     

美洲鲥雄性生殖细胞冷冻保存及移植

采用分离细胞冻存和组织块直接冻存2种方法, 进行美洲鲥(American shad, Alosa sapidissima)精巢细胞的长时间冷冻保存(>250d), 并比较分析2种不同冻存方法对美洲鲥雄性生殖细胞的冻存效果。解冻复苏后用Hochest33342和PI共染细胞核, 分析统计各期雄性生殖细胞的存活率, 结果显示组织块冻存方法所得精原干细胞和精母细胞的存活率明显高于分离细胞冻存的; 而精细胞及其他细胞存活率在2种方法间无显著差异; 特别是, 镜检发现组织块冻存方法所得精子存活率高达93.83%, 说明此冻存方法能同时高效地冻存美洲鲥各期生殖细胞, 包括成熟的精子。同时, 将组织块冻存的美洲鲥生殖细胞用PKH26染色标记后移植到出苗第1天的斑马鱼仔鱼中, 在细胞植入后5d仍能在受体中检测到供体细胞, 且有部分供体细胞能与内源生殖细胞共定位, 表明经过长时间冷冻保存的美洲鲥生殖细胞仍具有生殖细胞特性, 且能整合到斑马鱼受体性腺原基。研究结果为进一步开展美洲鲥, 或其他洄游性鱼类的生殖细胞发育、培养及种质资源保存等研究工作奠定了技术理论基础。     

昆明小鼠精子冷冻的研究(简报)

胚胎工程技术是动物品种、品系培育,种质资源保存及转基因动物制备、保种的重要手段。配子的冷冻保存技术目前广泛应用于胚胎工程。和胚胎冷冻相比小鼠精子冷冻技术方便、高效尤其适用于转基因及突变系小鼠的保种。成功的精子冷冻要求复苏后通过体外受精(IVF)获得胚胎,再移植入受体,生长发育并产出幼仔。胚胎体外培养获得足够的晚桑葚胚和早期囊胚是胚胎干细胞建立与制备嵌合体小鼠的成功关键,暂时不用的胚胎应仍能耐受冷冻保存,待复苏移植,建立新的繁殖群。但小鼠精子冷冻研究在我国开展的十分有限,缺乏相关资料数据。本实验对不同周龄SPF级昆明(KM)小鼠进行精子冷冻及冻融精子IVF,并将IVF获得的2-细胞胚胎分别进行胚胎移植、体外培养、胚胎冷冻及复苏后移植,应用冻融小鼠精子进行胚胎工程实践。     

冻存对自发性高血压大鼠精子顶体功能的影响

应用金霉素(CTC)荧光检测、精子穿卵试验和项体酶β-D-半乳糖苷酶活力测定等方法检测冻存对大鼠精子顶体的影响。CTC荧光反应显示,与未冻存精子比较,冻存后精子顶体反应的类型发生改变,AR型(发生了顶体反应)精子比例明显下降,冻存前为68.6％,冻存后为13.4.％,但是获能精子的比例未发生明显变化(92.6％对90.8％)。与未冻存的精子相比,冻存组精子的穿卵试验的受精指数下降(23.4±7.02对10.2±3.95),而且冻存后精子顶体酶——β-D-半乳糖苷酶活力明显下降(9.39±1.98对4.50±1.40)。结果表明冻存后精子的顶体功能受到较明显的破坏。实验结果为今后针对性地改进大鼠精子的冻存方法,改善大鼠精子的冻存保护剂提供实验和机制上的依据。     

昆明小鼠精子冷冻的研究（简报）

胚胎工程技术是动物品种、品系培育,种质资源保存及转基因动物制备、保种的重要手段。配子的冷冻保存技术目前广泛应用于胚胎工程。和胚胎冷冻相比小鼠精子冷冻技术方便、高效尤其适用于转基因及突变系小鼠的保种。成功的精子冷冻要求复苏后通过体外受精(IVF)获得胚胎,再移植入受     

Cryoprotectants synergy improve zebrafish sperm cryopreservation and offspring skeletogenesis

The synergy obtained by the combination of cryoprotectants is a successful strategy that can be beneficial on the optimization of zebrafish sperm cryopreservation. Recently, a protocol was established for this species using an electric ultrafreezer (−150 °C) performing cooling rate (−66 °C/min) and storage within one step. The ultimate objective of sperm cryopreservation is to generate healthy offspring. Therefore, the objective of this study was to select the most adequate cryoprotectant combination, for the previously established protocol, that generate high quality offspring with normal skeletogenesis. Among the permeating cryoprotectant concentrations studied 12.5% and 15% of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) yielded high post-thaw sperm quality and hatching rates. For these two concentrations, the presence of bovine serum albumin (10 mg/mL), egg yolk (10%), glycine (30 mM) and bicine (50 mM) was evaluated for post-thaw sperm motility, viability, in vitro fertilization success and offspring skeletal development (30 days post fertilization). Higher concentration of permeating cryoprotectant (15%) decreased the incidence of deformed arches and severe skeletal malformations, which suggests higher capacity to protect the cell against cold stress and DNA damage. Extender containing 15% DMF with Ctrl, Bicine and egg yolk were the non-permeating cryoprotectants with higher post-thaw quality. The use of these compounds results in a reduction in vertebral fusions, compressions and severity of skeletal malformations in the offspring. Therefore, these extender compositions are beneficial for the quality of zebrafish offspring sired by cryopreserved sperm with −66 °C/min freezing rate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on skeletal development of the offspring sired by cryopreserved sperm performed with different freezing media compositions in zebrafish.     

Effects of Cholesterol-Loaded Cyclodextrins on the Rate and the Quality of Motility in Frozen and Thawed Rabbit Sperm

The motility of sperm after freezing and thawing is critical for effective cryopreservation. It is known that supplementation with cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) improves cryosurvival of sperm in various animals. To clarify the effects of supplementation with CLC on rabbit sperm motility after freezing and thawing, rabbit sperm motility was analyzed using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. Sperm motility with CLC supplementation was 29.4 ± 9.6% (mean ± SD), which was significantly higher than that of controls (20.8 ± 7.1%, P<0.05). The curvilinear velocity of sperm with CLC exceeded that of controls, whereas the values for linearity and wobble were significantly lower in sperm with CLC compared with controls. After artificial insemination, 44.3% of recovered ova were fertilized in the CLC-supplemented group, which was higher than the percentage in the control group (36.4%). The results indicate that supplementation with CLC improves the rate and quality of motility in rabbit sperm after freezing and thawing, and would be advantageous for successful cryopreservation.     

Current status of sperm cryopreservation in biomedical research fish models: zebrafish, medaka, and Xiphophorus

Aquarium fishes are becoming increasingly important because of their value in biomedical research and the ornamental fish trade, and because many have become threatened or endangered in the wild. This review summarizes the current status of sperm cryopreservation in three fishes widely used in biomedical research: zebrafish, medaka, and live-bearing fishes of the genus Xiphophorus, and will focus on the needs and opportunities for future research and application of cryopreservation in aquarium fish. First, we summarize the basic biological characteristics regarding natural habitat, testis structure, spermatogenesis, sperm morphology, and sperm physiology. Second, we compare protocol development of sperm cryopreservation. Third, we emphasize the importance of artificial fertilization in sperm cryopreservation to evaluate the viability of thawed sperm. We conclude with a look to future research directions for sperm cryopreservation and the application of this technique in aquarium species.     

Cooling rate optimization for zebrafish sperm cryopreservation using a cryomicroscope coupled with SYBR14/PI dual staining

The Zebrafish has gained increased popularity as an aquatic model species in various research fields, and its widespread use has led to numerous mutant strains and transgenic lines. This creates the need to store these important genetic materials as frozen gametes. Sperm cryopreservation in zebrafish has been shown to yield very low post-thaw survival and many protocols suffer from great variability and poor reproducibility. The present study was intended to develop a freezing protocol that can be reliably used to cryopreserve zebrafish sperm with high post-thaw survival. In particular, our study focused on cooling protocol optimization with the aid of cryomicroscopy. Specifically, sperm suspended in 8% DMSO or 4% MeOH were first incubated with live/dead fluorescent dyes (SYBR14/PI) and then cooled at various rates from 4 °C to different intermediate stopping temperatures such as −10, −20, −30 and −80 °C before rewarming to 35 °C at the rate of 100 °C/min. %PI-positive (dead) cells were monitored throughout the cooling process and this screening yielded an optimal rate of 25 °C/min for this initial phase of freezing. We then tested the optimal cooling rate for the second phase of freezing from various intermediate stopping temperatures to −80 °C before plunging into liquid nitrogen. Our finding yielded an optimal intermediate stopping temperature of −30 °C and an optimal rate of 5 °C/min for this second phase of freezing. When we further applied this two-step cooling protocol to the conventional controlled-rate freezer, the average post-thaw motility measured by CASA was 46.8 ± 6.40% across 11 males, indicating high post-thaw survival and consistent results among different individuals. Our study indicates that cryomiscroscopy is a powerful tool to devise the optimal cooling conditions for species with sperm that are very sensitive to cryodamage.     

Zebrafish sperm cryopreservation with N,N-dimethylacetamide

High fecundity, rapid generation time, and external development of optically clear embryos make the zebrafish (Danio rerio) a convenient vertebrate model for genetic, developmental, and disease studies. Efficient sperm cryopreservation enhances the zebrafish model system by optimizing productive use of facility space, extending the reproductive lifetime of males, providing an alternative to live stocks for strain recovery, and ensuring the survival of valuable mutant lines. Here we identify a cryoprotective medium, 10% N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) (v/v) diluted in buffered sperm motility-inhibiting solution (BSMIS), as well as parameters for zebrafish sperm cryopreservation that enhance cryopreservation efficiency and significantly increase the yield of live embryos from archived stocks. Our experiments emphasize the effect of the ratio of sperm and medium volume and the use of large egg clutches to maximize the recovery of viable embryos.     

Gene transfer into zebrafish by sperm nuclear transplantation

A technique for fertilizing zebrafish eggs by injection of sperm nuclei is described. Eggs that cleave normally can develop into swimming larvae and give rise to fertile adults. If sperm nuclei are preincubated for 20 min with DNA encoding the green fluorescent protein, transgene expression can be detected in all cells of the embryo. The use of condensed sperm nuclei allows injection with a small bore pipette, which is critical for successful injection of the relatively small zebrafish egg. This technique enables the generation of ubiquitously expressing transgenic zebrafish directly by microinjection. Hence, experiments involving transgenic fish can be completed in days, without the need for growing and breeding founders. This technique may also be used to generate transgenic lines, as transgene expression was visible in the offspring of transgenic founders. The method described here is likely to be applicable to other teleosts, such as medaka and salmon.     

Genetic integrity of black sea bream (Acanthopagrus schlegeli) sperm following cryopreservation

Although semen cryopreservation has been applied successfully in many fish species, extensive variation in post‐thaw semen quality exists between species and individuals. AFLP (amplified restriction fragment length polymorphism) is a powerful method for detecting DNA polymorphisms at the individual, population, and species levels. The method has been successfully applied to boars (Sus domestica, Suidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) to detect and evaluate differences in DNA sequences that correspond with semen integretiy after employing various freezing techniques. Freezing and thawing of semen has also an effect of selecting for freezing‐resistant (or intact) and eliminating non‐viable or defective sperm. Only the fully intact and functional sperm, despite potential compromise by adverse freezing and osmotic stresses, retain fertility after thawing. The objective of this study was to use AFLP to assess any genetic changes associated with the effect of employed cryo‐methodology on the genetic integrity of sperm of the black sea bream (Acanthopagrus schlegeli) under different cryopreservation treatments. The cryopreservation protocols had no significant effect on sperm motility or survival rate of fertilized ova regardless of using fresh (% motile sperm 89.6 ± 3.0; % embryonic survival rate 54.4 ± 2.9) and frozen‐thawed semen (% motile sperm 80.2 ± 2.0; % embryonic survival rate 51.8 ± 2.0). The post‐thaw sperm motility and survival rates were not significantly different among the sperm samples of the five black sea bream males examined. In the present study, the remaining black sea bream sperm that survive the cryopreservation limit the power of AFLP to trace the genetic markers which correlate with the differences in the sensitivity of sperm to cryo‐injury. It is also possible that point mutations outside the AFLP priming sites may not have been detected. More thorough investigations are needed to determine whether such DNA fingerprints would be found in fish species.     

Morphological abnormalities in zebrafish cryopreserved sperm

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on the morphology of zebrafish sperm (Danio rerio). Sperm from 30 males were collected and divided in two treatments: fresh and cryopreserved semen. The following were measured sperm morphology, motility and membrane integrity. Cryopreservation reduced motility, the number of normal cells and the membrane integrity, as well as increased the percentage of sperm abnormalities. The most frequent types of morphological changes found in cryopreserved semen were macrocephaly, loose head, degenerated head, proximal gout, curled tail and short tail. This study opens the way for further investigations on morphological changes and for a new classification of these changes in fish semen due to cryopreservation.     

Production of F1 interspecies hybrid offspring with cryopreserved sperm from a live-bearing fish, the swordtail Xiphophorus helleri

Despite study of sperm cryopreservation in more than 200 fish species, production of broods from cryopreserved sperm in live-bearing fish has not been demonstrated. This has not been due to a lack of effort, but instead is a result of the unique morphology, biology, and biochemistry of reproduction in viviparous fishes. For example, sperm of Xiphophorus helleri have a cylindrical nucleus, can swim for days after being activated, have glycolytic capabilities, and can reside in the female reproduction tract for months before fertilization. These traits are not found in fishes with external fertilization. The long-standing research use of the genus Xiphophorus has led to development of over 60 pedigreed lines among the 26 species maintained around the world. These species and lines serve as contemporary models in medical research, although they must be maintained as live populations. Previous attempts at establishing sperm cryopreservation protocols for Xiphophorus have not produced live young. To address this we have been studying the parameters surrounding cryobiology of Xiphophorus sperm and applying this information to an improved understanding of internal fertilization and reproduction. Here we report the first successful fertilization and offspring production by cryopreserved sperm in any live-bearing fish. This claim is supported by our use of artificial insemination between two species that yield distinct hybrid offspring to verify paternity via cryopreserved sperm. We provide a practical approach for preservation of valuable genetic resources from live-bearing fish species, a group that is rapidly being lost due to destruction of native habitats.     

Oxidative stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio) sperm

Laboratories around the world have produced tens of thousands of mutant and transgenic zebrafish lines. As with mice, maintaining all of these valuable zebrafish genotypes is expensive, risky, and beyond the capacity of even the largest stock centers. Because reducing oxidative stress has become an important aspect of reducing the variability in mouse sperm cryopreservation, we examined whether antioxidants might improve cryopreservation of zebrafish sperm. Four experiments were conducted in this study. First, we used the xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X-XO) system to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The X-XO system was capable of producing a stress reaction in zebrafish sperm reducing its sperm motility in a concentration dependent manner (P<0.05). Second, we examined X-XO and the impact of antioxidants on sperm viability, ROS and motility. Catalase (CAT) mitigated stress and maintained viability and sperm motility (P>0.05), whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) and vitamin E did not (P<0.05). Third, we evaluated ROS in zebrafish spermatozoa during cryopreservation and its effect on viability and motility. Methanol (8%) reduced viability and sperm motility (P<0.05), but the addition of CAT mitigated these effects (P>0.05), producing a mean 2.0 to 2.9-fold increase in post-thaw motility. Fourth, we examined the effect of additional cryoprotectants and CAT on fresh sperm motility. Cryoprotectants, 8% methanol and 10% dimethylacetamide (DMA), reduced the motility over the control value (P<0.5), whereas 10% dimethylformamide (DMF) with or without CAT did not (P>0.05). Zebrafish sperm protocols should be modified to improve the reliability of the cryopreservation process, perhaps using a different cryoprotectant. Regardless, the simple addition of CAT to present-day procedures will significantly improve this process, assuring increased and less variable fertilization success and allowing resource managers to dependably plan how many straws are needed to safely cryopreserve a genetic line.