Haloarcheal bacterioruberins improve cryopreserved ram sperm parameters

MARTINEZ, C; ZALAZAR, L; CERLETTI, M; DE CASTRO, R; CESARI, A

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LI Reunión Anual SAIB; 2015

Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular

Sperm cryopreservation has a significant impact in the livestock reproductive field. Cryopreserved ram sperm is highly sensitive to freezing/thawing, thus, both half-life and fertilizing capacity of sperm are reduced. These eventsare associated with higher ion permeability, an increase in ROS production affecting membranes stability, among others. It was reported that addition of antioxidants, as vitamins E and C, to freezing extender increases spermmotility and membrane stability after thawing. In humans, carotenoids supplied to diets led to an increase in sperm motility and also ameliorated capacitation when added in vitro. Nevertheless, carotenoids on cryopreservation have not been evaluated. In our lab, a conditional Lon mutant (HVLON3) was constructed in the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii, that over-produces bacterioruberins. In this work, we studied the effect of these carotenoids on cryopreserved sperm. Ram sperm was thawed and treated with different concentrations of H. volcanii bacterioruberin extract (BE). Viability, progressive (PM) and total motility (TM) were analyzed. Higher percentages of viable cells were detected after 2h of treatment. Additionally, 20 μM BE significantly improved both PM and TM throughout the time evaluated (2h). Our results suggest that addition of H. volcaniibacterioruberins reduces membrane damage and improves motility of cryopreserved sperm.