Cooling and freezing of sperm from captive, free-living and endangered squirrel monkey species

Abstract

Germoplasm banking is an important tool for the preservation of genetic material from Neotropical primates in captivity, and from free living species, especially the endangered ones like Saimiri vanzolinii (Black-headed squirrel monkey), a primate with a low incidence area (870 km(2) of floodplains) in the southern part of the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Brazil. Therefore, in the present study we aimed to develop a sperm cryopreservation protocol comparing sperm cooling in presence (T1) and absence (T2) of egg yolk, and to test freezing protocols to preserve semen from captive (Saimiri collinsi), and free-living (Saimiri vanzolinii, Saimiri cassiquiarensis and Saimiri macrodon) New World primates. Cooling preserved sperm of S. collinsi in all evaluated microscopic parameters, except for sperm motility. No differences were observed among the treatments, indicating that semen of this species can be cooled without egg yolk. Freezing did not affect sperm quality of S. collinsi, except plasma membrane integrity that was negatively affected. Generally, a good maintenance rate was observed between cooling and thawing of semen for the four species, showing the positive translational application of protocols from S. collinsi to the free-living species. Developed freezing protocol proved to be useful for sperm cryopreservation of S. collinsi and in field conditions.

Comparison of semen characteristics and sperm cryopreservation in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) and black‐tufted‐ear marmoset (Callithrix penicillata)

“…However, reliable information on the most appropriate methodologies is still limited . Cryopreservation of sperm from Neotropical primates has been reported for some species, including squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri sciureus , S. boliviensis , S. collinsi , S. vanzolinii , S. cassiquiarensis , S. macrodon) , spider monkeys ( Ateles paniscus , A. marginatus ), and one species of capuchin monkey ( Sapajus apella ), tamarin ( Saguinus labiatus ), howler monkey ( Alouatta caraya ), and common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus ) . As described for Old World monkeys, the cryoprotectants used usually contain glycerol in different concentrations—ranging from 1.5% to 8%, alone or in combination with egg yolk (used most often), or soy lecithin …”

Semen cryopreservation in golden‐headed lion tamarin,Leontopithecus chrysomelas

“…Analysis of thawed samples revealed encouraging results for Neotropical primates regardless of the treatment as, for example, high total and progressive motilities and increased plasma membrane integrity (above 50%, 40%, and 80% respectively). On average, sperm cryopreserved with BB tended to show better total motility ( p = .0571), but both extenders presented greater postthaw motility than most of the values reported for Neotropical primates (Arakaki, Nichi et al, ; Carvalho, ; Leão et al, ; O'Brien et al, ; Oliveira et al, ; Silva et al, ; Valle, ; Yeoman et al, ). Additionally, we observed that there were no significant differences between extenders for most seminal parameters, excepting TBARS and intact acrosome.…”

“…Furthermore, 5 of the 25 most endangered primate species in the world live in the Neotropics (Schwitzer et al, ), and yet no standard sperm cryopreservation protocols have been described for these species. In the literature a few studies have investigated sperm freezing in species like squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, howler monkey, capuchin monkey, marmosets, and tamarins (Arakaki, Nichi et al, ; Carvalho, ; Denis, Poindexter, Ritter, Seager, & Deter, ; Leão et al, ; Morrell et al, ; O'Brien, Hollinshead, Evans, Evans, & Maxwell, ; Oliveira et al, ; Oliveira, Leão, Almeida, Santos, & Domingues, ; Sankai, Tsuchiya, Ogonuki, Cho, & Yoshikawa, ; Silva et al, ; Yeoman, Ricker, Hossain, & Abee, ). However, the variety of protocols and their respective outcomes (Table ) makes it difficult to reach a consensus regarding an ideal method designed to routinely cryopreserve sperm from these primates.…”

“…Egg yolk‐based extenders have been widely used to freeze sperm from Neotropical species, whereas glycerol has been the cryoprotectant of choice. (Arakaki, Nichi et al, ; Carvalho, ; Denis et al, ; Leão et al, ; Morrell et al, ; O'Brien et al, ; Oliveira et al, ; Sankai et al, ; Silva et al, ; Yeoman et al, ). To that extent, there are several commercial options of egg yolk‐based extenders mixed with glycerol whose use brings a number of advantages in comparison to in‐house prepared extenders (e.g., standardization, practicality, and no need of laboratory equipment and facilities for extender production).…”

Seminal coagulation and sperm quality in different social contexts in captive tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella)

“…The presence of sperm in the seminal coagula of some primate species living in multimale–multifemale social organizations (Dixson & Anderson, ), such as squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri sciureus , Linnaeus, ) has not yet been reported (Bennet, ), leading to the conclusion that this coagulum has no fertilization properties. On the contrary, in other species with similar mating systems, such as spider monkeys ( Ateles geoffroyi , Kuhl, ) (Hernández‐López et al, ), tufted capuchin monkeys ( Sapajus apella , Linnaeus, ) (Leão et al, ; Oliveira et al, ), and squirrel monkeys (Oliveira, Leão, Almeida, Santos, & Domingues, ; Oliveira et al, ,), seminal coagulum possesses high sperm concentrations. In fact, these coagulated fractions have been shown to possess higher sperm concentrations than the non‐coagulated fractions of the ejaculate (Oliveira et al, ).…”