Cryostress induces fragmentation and alters the abundance of sperm transcripts associated with fertilizing competence and reproductive processes in buffalo

• Published in: Cell and tissue research 2023-07, Vol.393 (1), p.181-199
• Main Authors: Selvaraju, Sellappan, Ramya, Laxman, Swathi, Divakar, Archana, Santhanahalli Siddalingappa, Lavanya, Maharajan, Krishnappa, Balaganur, Binsila, Bala Krishnan, Mahla, Ajit Singh, Arangasamy, Arunachalam, Andonissamy, Jerome, Kumar, Pradeep, Sharma, Rakesh Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Chemokines; Cryopreservation; CXCR4 protein; Cyclooxygenase-2; Embryogenesis; Embryonic development; Fertility; Fertilization; G protein-coupled receptors; Genes; Human Genetics; Immune response; Molecular Medicine; Oxidative phosphorylation; Phosphorylation; Protein binding; Proteomics; Reactive oxygen species; Regular Article; Sperm; Spermatozoa; Structure-function relationships; Transcriptomes
• ISSN: 0302-766X; 1432-0878
• DOI: 10.1007/s00441-023-03764-8

The study aimed to assess the influence of cryostress on RNA integrity and functional significance in sperm fertilizing ability. The fresh and post-thawed buffalo sperm ( n  = 6 each) samples were evaluated for their functional attributes, and sperm total RNA was subjected to transcriptome sequencing followed by validation using real-time PCR and dot blot. Overall, 6911 genes had an expression of FPKM > 1, and among these 431 genes were abundantly expressed (FPKM > 20) in buffalo sperm. These abundantly expressed genes regulate reproductive functions such as sperm motility ( TEKT2 , SPEM1 , and PRM3 , FDR = 1.10E-08), fertilization ( EQTN , PLCZ1 , and SPESP1 , FDR = 7.25E-06) and the developmental process involved in reproduction ( SPACA1 , TNP1 , and YBX2 , FDR = 7.21E-06). Cryopreservation significantly ( p