Tyrphostin-A47 inhibitable tyrosine phosphorylation of flagellar proteins is associated with distinct alteration of motility pattern in hamster spermatozoa

To acquire fertilizing potential, mammalian spermatozoa must undergo capacitation and acrosome reaction. Our earlier work showed that pentoxifylline (0.45 mM), a sperm motility stimulant, induced an early onset of hamster sperm capacitation associated with tyrosine phosphorylation of 45-80 kDa proteins, localized to the mid-piece of the sperm tail. To assess the role of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in sperm capacitation, we used tyrphostin-A47 (TP-47), a specific protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The dose-dependent (0.1-0.5 mM) inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation by TP-47 was associated with inhibition of hyperactivated motility and 0.5 mM TP-47-treated spermatozoa exhibited a distinct circular motility pattern. This was accompanied by hypo-tyrosine phosphorylation of 45-60 kDa proteins, localized to the principal piece of the intact-sperm and the outer dense fiber-like structures in detergent treated-sperm. Sperm kinematic analysis (by CASA) of spermatozoa, exhibiting circular motility (at 1st hr), showed lower values of straight line velocity, curvilinear velocity and average path velocity, compared to untreated controls. Other TP-47 analogues, tyrphostin-AG1478 and -AG1296, had no effect either on kinematic parameters or sperm protein tyrosine phosphorylation. These studies indicate that TP-47-induced circular motility of spermatozoa is compound-specific and that the tyrosine phosphorylation status of 45-60 kDa flagellum-localized proteins could be key regulators of sperm flagellar bending pattern, associated with the hyperactivation of hamster spermatozoa.     

马铃薯（Solanum tuberosum L.）茎尖的超低温保存及其遗传变异的初步观察

研究马铃薯茎尖超低温保存技术的结果表明,4℃低温下锻炼6d,在添加二甲基亚砜（DMSO）和乙酰胺的培养基中预培养5d,60％PVS2于室温下装载30min,0℃下PVS2脱水40min时,茎尖成活率最高（71．6％）,再生植株生长分化正常。进一步对再生植株进行AFLP分析,6对引物组合共扩增出385条带,超低温保存前后的材料之间未见到明显差的异带,但用MSAP技术分析超低温保存前后植株甲基化的结果显示：超低温保存后的材料均有不同程度的甲基化。在扩增的624条带中,处理与否之间完全一致的带型为584条;有变化的带型为40条,处理2（茎尖经过完整的超低温保存过程,区别于处理1,增加了冷冻、解冻和洗涤后恢复培养）有13个位点的甲基化增加,21个位点去甲基化。     

花烛胚性悬浮细胞玻璃化超低温保存条件研究

为建立适宜的花烛(Anthurium andraeanum Lind. )胚性悬浮细胞玻璃化超低温保存技术,采用单因素实验方法对影响玻璃化超低温保存后细胞相对存活率的主要因素进行了研究.结果表明,经玻璃化超低温保存后花烛悬浮细胞的相对存活率与悬浮细胞的继代培养时间、渗透调节剂的种类和浓度及预培养时间、装载液种类和预处理时间、PVS2脱水时间以及超低温保存后的化冻温度均有一定的关系.继代培养3和5 d,细胞的相对存活率较高(约20%);分别以0.3、0.5、0.7 mol·L-1山梨醇和60、80、100、120 g·L-1蔗糖为渗透调节剂预培养0～4 d,以0.5 mol·L-1山梨醇预培养2 d的效果最好,细胞的相对存活率为26.2%;用体积分数25%PVS2预处理15 min,细胞的相对存活率最高(29.0%);分别用体积分数100%PVS2脱水0、5、10、15、20、25和30 min,其中脱水10 min的悬浮细胞相对存活率最高(32.1%);分别在10 ℃、20 ℃、30 ℃、40 ℃、50 ℃和60 ℃水浴条件下进行化冻处理,其中用40 ℃水浴化冻的悬浮细胞相对存活率最高(32.1%).花烛胚性悬浮细胞玻璃化超低温保存和化冻的适宜流程为:将继代培养3～5 d的胚性悬浮细胞团(直径2 mm)在含0.5 mol·L-1山梨醇的1/2MS液体培养基中预培养2 d后,于4 ℃条件下处理24 h,然后先用体积分数25%PVS2室温预处理15 min,再用体积分数100%PVS2 在0 ℃条件下脱水10 min,最后迅速投入液氮中冷冻保存;将经过冷冻保存的细胞置于40 ℃水浴中化冻3 min,用含1.2 mol·L-1蔗糖的1/2MS液体培养基洗涤3次(每次10 min),之后即可进行恢复培养.     

大叶黑桫椤孢子超低温保存

大叶黑桫椤孢子在液氮中长期保存的结果表明：（1）大叶黑桫椤孢子可以保存于液氮中;（2）液氮保存后的孢子萌发率比未用液氮保存的普遍下降,保存90d的用室温慢速化冻的孢子萌发率最高（65.3％）,相对保持率最高可达79.3％;（3）采用室温（22～25℃）慢速化冻的效果优于37℃温水浴快速化冻的。据此认为,液氮超低温长期保存大叶黑桫椤孢子是可行的。     

Survival of Micro-organisms in Cryostorage of Human Sperm

The authors describe the clinical application of semen cryostorage, survival of micro-organism during cryostorage procedures and the risk of cross-contamination.     

The effect of seed freezing on morphological characteristics of four pink species

The effects of nondeep (?10°C) and deep (?196°C) seed freezing on the morphological characteristics of four pink species were studied. As a rule, various regimes of seed freezing weakly affected plant growth and development. Relatively stable traits (flower diameter, the number of stem nodes, and root length) did not change. Reproductive shoots became slightly shorter, and the pattern of their distribution changed. The number of variable traits (the number of vegetative shoots and the number of flowers) was reduced. However, in the following year, the number of flowers was restored. Characteristics valuable for cryopreservation (the number of fruits and seed germinability) were essentially unchanged. Some stimulatory effects of seed freezing were noted: enhanced seed germination under unfavorable conditions and an increased upper limit of some indices, including the number of reproductive organs.     

Effect of osmotic immobilization on refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of sperm from a viviparous fish, the green swordtail Xiphophorus helleri

In this study, refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of sperm from the green swordtail Xiphophorus helleri were investigated. Previous cryopreservation research in this species utilized motile sperm because unlike in most fish species, Xiphophorus sperm can remain continuously motile after collection for a week with refrigerated storage. However, this species reproduces by internal fertilization, and given the significant requirements for motility within the female reproductive tract and potential limitations on sperm energetic capacities, immobilization of sperm prior to insemination could be used to improve fertilization success. Thus, the goal in this study was to use osmotic pressure to inhibit the motility of sperm after collection from X. helleri, and to test the effect of immobilization on refrigerated storage and cryopreservation. The objectives were to: (1) estimate the motility of sperm at different osmotic pressures, and determine an osmotic pressure suitable for immobilization; (2) cryopreserve the immobilized sperm, and estimate the motility after thawing with or without dilution, and (3) compare motility of non-immobilized and immobilized sperm after thawing, centrifugation, and washing to remove cryoprotectant. Motility was determined when sperm were suspended in 11 different osmotic pressures (24-500 mOsmol/kg) of Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS). Motility was observed between 116 and 425 mOsmol/kg. Sperm were not motile when the osmolality was lower than 116 or higher than 425 mOsmol/kg. Motility of the immobilized (non-motile) sperm could be activated by changing the osmotic pressure to 291-316 mOsmol/kg, and motility of immobilized sperm from hypertonic HBSS (425 mOsmol/kg) was significantly higher than that from hypotonic HBSS (145 mOsmol/kg) after 48 h of storage. At an osmolality of 500 mOsmol/kg, HBSS was used as extender to maintain immobilized sperm during cryopreservation with glycerol as the cryoprotectant. High motility (approximately 55%) was obtained in sperm after thawing when cryopreserved with 10-15% glycerol, and dilution of thawed sperm in fresh HBSS (1:4; V:V) was found to decrease the motility significantly. No difference was found in the motility of thawed sperm cryopreserved with 14% glycerol and extended in 310 and 500 mOsmol/kg HBSS. Washing by centrifugation prolonged the motility of thawed sperm from 24 to 72 h in HBSS at 310 and 500 mOsmol/kg. This study showed that sperm from X. helleri could be immobilized by use of specific osmotic pressures, and that the immobilization did not affect sperm motility after thawing. The immobilization of sperm by osmotic pressure could minimize reduction of the energetic capacities necessary for insemination, traversal, and residence within the female reproductive tract, and fertilization.     

Effect of human oviductal epithelial cell cultural medium on cryopreserved human sperm survival

The human oviduct is known as a functional site for gamete transportation, retention, fertilization and zygote development. Previous studies have shown that human oviductal epithelial cell cultural medium (OECCM) has a positive effect on prolongation of sperm motility for some cryopreserved human sperm without cryodamage. However, for most cryopreserved sperm, OECCM could not improve their survival prolongation. In this study, we assessed the influence of human OECCM on the motility longevity of cryopreserved human sperm with an in vitro incubation method.     

Effect of freezing–thawing process and quercetin on human sperm survival and DNA integrity

We aimed in the first part of our work to study the effect of cryopreservation on the human sperm DNA integrity and the activation of caspase 3, the main apoptosis indicator. In the second part, we were interested in testing the effect of quercetin, as an antioxidant, in preventing sperm damage during the freeze–thawing process. Seventeen semen samples were obtained from 17 men recruited for infertility investigations. Liquefied sperm was cryopreserved using spermfreeze®. Nine of the used samples were divided into two aliquots; the first one was cryopreserved with spermfreeze only (control) and the second one was cryopreserved with spermfreeze supplemented with quercetin to a final concentration of 50 μM. Sperm motility and viability were assessed according to WHO criteria. We used TUNEL assay and the Oxy DNA assay to assess sperm DNA integrity. Activated caspase 3 levels were measured in spermatozoa using fluorescein-labeled inhibitor of caspase (FLICA). Cryopreservation led to a significant increase in sperm DNA fragmentation, DNA oxidation and caspase 3 activation (p < 0.01). Supplementation of the cryopreservation medium with quercetrin induced a significant improvement in post thaw sperm parameters, compared to those of control, regarding sperm motility (p = 0.007), viability (p = 0.008) and DNA integrity (p = 0.02); however, it had no effect on caspase 3 activation (p = 0.3). We conclude that oxidative stress plays a major role in inducing sperm cryodamage but implication of apoptosis in this impairment requires further investigations. Quercetin could have protective effect during cryopreservation but further research is needed to confirm this effect.     

A quantitative ultramorphological approach for systematic assessment of sperm head regions: an example in rams

Examination of the type and frequency of damage to the head of spermatozoa using electron microscopy can be used to evaluate the quality of differently treated sperm. This report describes a systematic approach based on 29 morphological categories of sperm heads assessed from discrete regions in raw, chilled and frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Injury occurred principally at the plasma membrane and could be present or absent in all regions. In the anterior segment, when the plasma membrane is present, it can be intact, dilated, very dilated, disrupted, or contain vesicles characteristic of acrosomal reaction-like capacitation changes. When the plasma membrane is absent, the acrosome may be intact, exhibit a complete loss of contents, or retain some contents of the apical ridge and present a very dilated outer acrosomal membrane. The plasma membrane in the equatorial segment and the boundary between regions can be intact, dilated, very dilated or disrupted. The post-acrosomal plasma membrane is classified as intact, dilated or very dilated, whereas the dense lamina is intact, dilated or fragmented. The morphology of the heads most frequently observed in chilled spermatozoa consists of anterior and equatorial segments with a dilated, or dilated and disrupted plasma membrane; a boundary between regions with an intact and dilated plasma membrane; and a post-acrosomal region with an intact plasma membrane and dense lamina, both dilated. In frozen-thawed spermatozoa, the morphology of the heads is more frequently characterised by no plasma membrane and an acrosome showing complete or some loss of contents in the apical ridge and very dilated outer acrosomal membrane, presenting mostly dilated and fragmented dense lamina in the post-acrosomal region. These findings are consistent with the conclusion that the freezing process produces an increase in the degree of damage to the cells when they are subjected to increasing degrees of cold shock. There are still difficulties in developing a good diluent and process for preserving the plasma membrane in ram spermatozoa. This systematisation, using different categories, allows characterisation of multiple transmission electron microscopy images. Thus, the different changes observed due to cryopreservation may be correlated.