Fertility Reduction in Male Persian Fallow Deer (Dama dama mesopotamica): Inbreeding Detection and Morphometric Parameters Evaluation of Semen

Abstract

Persian fallow deer (Dama dama mesopotamica) is only found in a few protected and refuges areas in the northwest, north, and southwest of Iran. The aims of this study were analysis of inbreeding and morphometric parameters of semen in male Persian fallow deer to investigate the cause of reduced fertility of this endangered species in Dasht-e-Naz National Refuge, Sari, Iran. The Persian fallow deer semen was collected by an electroejaculator from four adult bucks randomly during the breeding season and from five dehorned and horned deer's in non-breeding season. Twelve blood samples were taken and mitochondrial DNA was extracted, a non-coding region called d-loop was amplified, sequenced and then were considered for genetic analysis. The Persian fallow deer's normal and abnormal spermatozoa were similar to that of domestic ruminants but very smaller and difficult to observe at the primary observation. The post-mating season collected ejaculates contained abnormal spermatozoa, debris and secretion of accessory glands in horned bucks and accessory glands secretion free of any spermatozoa in dehorned or early velvet budding bucks. Microscopic evaluation in all four bucks during the mating season showed the mean concentration of 9 × 10 6 spermatozoa/ml. The mean ± standard deviation of age, testes length and testes width was 4.60 ± 1.52 years, 3.58 ± 0.32 and 1.86 ± 0.09 cm, respectively. The results identified 1120 loci in which 377 were polymorphic. In conclusion, reduced fertility of male Persian fallow deer may be caused by inbreeding of the protected herd in a limited area of Dasht-e-Naz National Refuge.

Characterization of seminal parameters, sperm morphometry, micromorphology, and ultrastructure in gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira, Fischer, 1814)

“…In addition, postmortem collection, directly from the epididymis, has provided promising results in C. elaphus hispanicus . The pH values obtained (6.7 ± 0.5) in the current study, supported those obtained for other deer species, including M. americana (Rola et al, 2013), Ozotoceros bezoarticus (Beracochea et al, 2014), Dama dama mesopotamica (Ekrami, Tamadon, Jahromi, Moghadas, & Seno, 2016), C. elaphus (Gizejewski, 2004), and Elaphodus cephalophus (Panyaboriban et al, 2016).…”

A Selection of 14 Tetrameric Microsatellite Markers for Genetic Investigations in Fallow Deer (Dama dama)

“…The monitoring and maintenance of genetic diversity is essential for the conservation of the species [ 9 , 10 ], especially in habitats that are more affected by humans [ 11 ]. As low levels of variance and genetic homogeneity within local populations may promote genetic degradation, fertility reduction, and the spread of infectious diseases in populations [ 12 , 13 ], genetic studies of fallow deer are carried out worldwide to decipher the population’s structure and health [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. To estimate genetic diversity in this species, different markers have been tested, such as mitochondrial DNA [ 14 , 17 ], blood and tissue proteins [ 16 , 18 , 19 ], various genes (e.g., PRNP) [ 15 ], as well as di- and tri-nucleotide microsatellites [ 14 , 20 ].…”