SEASONAL STUDY OF THE PROTEIN PROFILE OF SEMINAL PLASMA

BERNARDINI, AL; CESARI, A; ALBERIO RH; HOZBOR, F

Congreso; 4to congreso de cunicultura de las americas; 2010

Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca

Several domestic livestock mammals show seasonal variations in reproductive and seminal characteristics. Seasonal changes were reported in the composition of seminal plasma (SP), especially in proteins. Even though rabbits do not show a marked breeding season, it was found that breeding activity and semen quality varies along the year. In the present work we characterize the seasonal changes of the protein profile of SP obtained from Californian and New Zealand White breed rabbits. SP was obtained all along the year by centrifugation from semen of Californian and New Zealander rabbits. Pools of samples from the same season were electrophoresed in SDS-PAGE and analysed using Image Quant. The relative amount of proteins grouped according their molecular weight varied along the seasons of the year in both rabbit breeds, indicating that the relative amount of individual proteins changes during the year. Some specific proteins seem to be exclusive of one season being absent in the rest of the year. Biologic significance of these changes in spermatozoa function may contribute to understand differences in reproductive activity and success in domestic livestock rabbits.