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Single bovine sperm sex typing by amelogenin nested PCR
A Colley1, M Buhr, S P Golovan
1Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Theriogenology
|July 26, 2008
Summary
A new, cost-effective method uses amelogenin nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for single-sperm sex typing. This validated technique accurately determines the sex of individual bovine sperm, aiding animal production and sex preselection technologies.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Genetics
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Sex-sorted bovine semen is crucial for animal production, enabling sex preselection.
- Evaluating sperm sexing technologies requires reliable single-sperm sex-typing methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a simple, cost-effective method for single-sperm sex typing.
- To assess the accuracy of the new method for bovine sperm.
Main Methods:
- Development of a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the amelogenin gene.
- Isolation of hundreds of single sperm using manual techniques and a high-speed flow-sorter.
- Sex typing of individual sperm using the developed amelogenin nested PCR.
Main Results:
- The amelogenin nested PCR method successfully sex-typed individual bovine sperm.
- No significant difference was observed in the sex ratio of unsorted semen (44.6% X, 55.4% Y).
- High accuracy was confirmed for sorted semen (91.4% X, 94.0% Y) compared to post-sorting data.
Conclusions:
- The amelogenin nested PCR is an adaptable, accurate, and reliable tool for single-sperm sex typing.
- This method supports the evaluation and development of novel sperm sexing technologies.
- The technique offers a cost-effective solution for sex preselection in animal production.
