Enriching the captive elephant population genetic pool through artificial insemination with frozen-thawed semen collected in the wild

Hildebrandt, Thomas B.; Hermes, Robert; Saragusty, Joseph; Potier, Romain; Schwammer, Harald M.; Balfanz, F.; Vielgrader, Hanna; Baker, Barbara A.; Bartels, Paul; Göritz, Frank

doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2012.06.014

Cited by 46 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The idea of linking wild and captive populations by tapping the wild for genetic material that can be used to increase the genetic diversity of captive (or isolated) populations is not new but rarely practiced (Howard et al 2002;Hildebrandt et al 2009Hildebrandt et al , 2012. Transporting semen samples is undoubtedly the easiest and least invasive method for moving genetic material between populations and it is relatively simple to collect by electroejaculation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Saragusty, R. Potier and F. Göritz, unpubl. data;Hildebrandt et al 2012), we are hopeful that such treatment will help save some of the spermatozoa in these poor-quality samples so that the genetic pool of the captive African savannah elephant can be further enriched.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, an evaluation of the captive African elephant population in North America found an average heterozygosity of 0.53, seemingly lower than the level reported for wild African elephants (0.64; Lei et al 2008). Recently we demonstrated that an alternative way is available (Hildebrandt et al 2012;Hermes et al 2013). By collecting semen from bulls in the wild it is possible to introduce their genetic material into the captive population without removing the animals from their natural habitat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sperm rescue in wild African elephants

Saragusty

Prieto

Courtiol

et al. 2016

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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This study investigated ways of improving the usefulness of ~1700mL of poor-quality frozen semen collected from wild African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls. Ten semen samples from six bulls, frozen with 5% glycerol in Berliner cryomedium, with or without prior removal of the seminal plasma by centrifugation, were tested. All samples were subjected to the following density-gradient centrifugation treatments: no centrifugation (control), sham centrifugation, Percoll, OptiPrep, Isolate and PureSperm. Sample evaluation included motility, concentration, viability, acrosome integrity and normal morphology after thawing and after gradient centrifugation. Motility was also evaluated 3h after thawing. While all treatments were similar to the Control in acrosome integrity and normal morphology, significant differences were noted in concentration, viability and motility. Samples treated by Percoll showed the best motility, which was maintained unchanged over 3h of incubation (37°C). Correlations between manual and automated evaluations of concentration were high (cytometer; rho=0.92), but were lower for viability (cytometer; rho=0.57) and motility (computer-aided sperm analysis; rho=0.66). By performing density centrifugation, the quality of these sperm samples may be improved to a level suitable for artificial insemination in elephants. Although a sizeable proportion of cells are lost in the process, combining samples may still allow for multiple inseminations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sperm rescue in wild African elephants

Saragusty

Prieto

Courtiol

et al. 2016

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Similarly, international genetic exchange among genetically distinct regional populations could become more commonplace. The precedent for such strategies already exists for cheetahs (Namibia to U.S.) 6 , sand cats (UAE to U.S.), and elephants (South Africa to Europe) 8 . Additionally, sperm and embryos preserved from individuals that fail to reproduce in their lifetimes could be vehicles for infusing their unrepresented genes into populations long after death.…”

Section: The Value Of Art As a Conservation Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

From petri dishes to politics – a multi-pronged approach is essential for saving endangered species

Roth

Swanson

2018

Nat Commun

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“…Cryopreservation of germplasm (gametes and embryos) of threatened or endangered species has been proposed as an approach to slow or halt the rate of species decline [5,6]. Artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed sperm would allow dissemination of genetic material among members of each species and breed across studs, farms, zoos, and sanctuaries around the world, as well as between the captive and wild populations, as we have previously demonstrated in African elephants [7] and the European brown hare [8]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Follicular size predicts success in artificial insemination with frozen-thawed sperm in donkeys

et al. 2017

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In asses, semen collection, cryopreservation, and artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed semen have been scarcely described and success rate, particularly following AI, is reportedly low. In the absence of reliable protocols, assisted reproductive technologies cannot support the conservation efforts aimed at endangered wild ass species and domestic donkey breeds. Two experiments were conducted in this study. In experiment 1 we evaluated freezing Abyssinian donkey (N = 5, 4 ejaculates each) spermatozoa using three freezing extenders (Berliner Cryomedium + glycerol, BC+G; BotuCrio, BOTU; INRAFreeze, INRA) and two cryopreservation techniques (liquid nitrogen vapour, LNV; directional freezing, DF). Post-thaw evaluation indicated that BOTU and INRA were similar and both superior to BC+G (P ≤ 0.004 for all motility tests), and that DF was superior to LNV (P < 0.002 for all evaluation parameters). In experiment 2, relying on these results, we used Abyssinian donkey sperm frozen in BOTU and INRA by DF for AI (N = 20). Prior to AI, thawed samples were diluted in corresponding centrifugation media or autologous seminal fluids at 1:1 ratio. No difference was found between BOTU and INRA or between the addition of seminal fluids or media, all resulting in ~50% pregnancy, and no differences were noted between males (N = 4). The size of pre-ovulatory follicle was a significant (P = 0.001) predictor for AI success with 9/10 pregnancies occurring when follicular size ranged between 33.1–37.4 mm, no pregnancy when it was smaller, and only one when larger. A number of ass species face the risk of extinction. Knowledge gained in this study on the Abyssinian donkey can be customised and transferred to its closely related endangered species and breeds.

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Enriching the captive elephant population genetic pool through artificial insemination with frozen-thawed semen collected in the wild

Cited by 46 publications

References 23 publications

Sperm rescue in wild African elephants

Sperm rescue in wild African elephants

From petri dishes to politics – a multi-pronged approach is essential for saving endangered species

Follicular size predicts success in artificial insemination with frozen-thawed sperm in donkeys

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