Sperm storage in the vertebrate female reproductive tract: How does it work so well?

Holt, William V.; Lloyd, Rhiannon

doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.07.002

Cited by 115 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…However, sperm storage is also common in many vertebrates, where sperm can remain viable for up to 7years in some reptiles and more than a year in some fish (Holt and Lloyd, 2010). Sperm storage often occurs in animals that have copulations with multiple males ('multiple paternity'), where the combination can create selective advantages (e.g.…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetics as a source of variation in comparative animal physiology – or – Lamarck is lookin' pretty good these days

Burggren

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Considerable variation is inherent both within and between comparative physiological data sets. Known sources for such variation include diet, gender, time of day and season of experiment, among many other factors, but a meta-analysis of physiological studies shows that surprisingly few studies report controlling for these factors. In fact, less than 3% of comparative physiological papers mention epigenetics. However, our understanding of epigenetic influences on physiological processes is growing rapidly, and it is highly likely that epigenetic phenomena are an additional 'hidden' source of variation, particularly in wild-caught specimens. Recent studies have shown epigenetic inheritance of commonly studied traits such as metabolic rate (water fleas Daphnia magna; emu, Dromaius novaellandiae), hypoxic tolerance, cardiac performance (zebrafish, Danio rerio), as well as numerous morphological effects. The ecological and evolutionary significance of such epigenetic inheritance is discussed in a comparative physiological context. Finally, against this context of epigenetic inheritance of phenotype, this essay also provides a number of caveats and warnings regarding the interpretation of transgenerational phenotype modification as a true epigenetic phenomenon. Parental effects, sperm storage, multiple paternity and direct gamete exposure can all be confounding factors. Epigenetic inheritance may best be studied in animal models that can be maintained in the laboratory over multiple generations, to yield parental stock that themselves are free of epigenetic effects from the historical experiences of their parents.

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Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetics as a source of variation in comparative animal physiology – or – Lamarck is lookin' pretty good these days

Burggren

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…This condition could be induced by decreasing the time between ejaculate collections. If these predictions are not supported, it may be that effects of repeated exposure to the same stimulus affects ejaculate composition differently in species with pregnancy and short durations of sperm retention (e.g., many mammals; Holt and Lloyd 2010) than in species that lay eggs and have long-term sperm storage (e.g., many arthropods, amphibians, fish, birds, and reptiles; Holt and Lloyd 2010). It could be, for example, that males in the former type of species only decrease ejaculate investment after pregnancy is detected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men Ejaculate Larger Volumes of Semen, More Motile Sperm, and More Quickly when Exposed to Images of Novel Women

Joseph

Sharma

Agarwal

et al. 2015

Evolutionary Psychological Science

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Males in many species differentially allocate sperm and seminal fluid depending on certain social variables, including perceived sperm competition and female reproductive status. In some species, males reduce their investment in sperm quantity or quality upon repeated matings with the same female and increase such investment when mated to a novel female. We tested for effects of stimulus habituation and novelty on ejaculated semen parameters in humans. We analyzed ejaculates produced through masturbation with stimulation from sexually explicit films. When males were exposed successively to the same female six times, we saw no change in ejaculate parameters between the first and sixth exposures to the same female. However, ejaculate volume and total motile sperm count significantly increased when males were exposed to a novel female. Time to ejaculation also decreased significantly upon exposure to a novel female. Thus, our results suggest that human males ejaculate more quickly and invest more in ejaculates with novel females.

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“…However, the recent study by Gundogan et al (2010) on DNA integrity and oxidative stress indicates that deterioration in sperm quality during low-temperature liquid storage is greater at a concentration suitable for intrauterine insemination (25 3 10 6 spermatozoa per ml) than cervical insemination (100 3 10 6 per ml). Of course, 24 h is still only a tiny fraction of the time that semen can be stored in female reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds, prompting Holt and Lloyd (2010) to express surprise that the mechanisms used by such species have not been investigated by those researching the long-term storage of fresh semen. There has also been success in producing pre-sexed offspring (86 of 93) from superovulated ewes, albeit following laparoscopic intrauterine insemination rather than deposition in the os cervix (De Graaf et al, 2007a).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traversing the ovine cervix – a challenge for cryopreserved semen and creative science

Robinson

McKelvey²,

King

et al. 2011

Animal

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This review brings together research findings on cervical relaxation in the ewe and its pharmacological stimulation for enhancement of the penetration needed for transcervical insemination and embryo transfer. On the basis that the success of artificial insemination is the percentage of ewes lambing, a review is made of recent research aimed at understanding and minimising the sub-lethal effects of freezing and thawing on the viability of spermatozoa, their membrane integrity and their ability to migrate through cervical mucus, as these characteristics have a major influence on fertility, particularly when semen is deposited, artificially, in the os cervix. Milestones of achievement are given for transcervical intrauterine insemination, embryo recovery and transfer and the birth of lambs of pre-determined sex, firstly following intracytoplasmic sperm injection, then laparoscopic intrauterine insemination using highly diluted flow-cytometrically sorted fresh semen and subsequently by os cervix insemination using sexed semen that had been frozen and thawed. Diversity of research endeavour (applied, cellular, molecular), research discipline (anatomy, histology, immunology, endocrinology) and research focus (cell, tissue, organ, whole animal) is embraced within the review as each has significant contributions to make in advancing recent scientific findings from the laboratory into robust on-farm transcervical insemination and embryo transfer techniques.Keywords: ovine cervix, semen cryopreservation, artificial insemination, embryo recovery and transfer ImplicationsIn bringing together the results of recent research on the cryopreservation of ram semen and the relaxation of the ewe cervix, this review provides a basis for identifying opportunities for improving the efficiency of cervical insemination and transcervical embryo recovery and transfer in sheep genetic improvement programmes.

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Sperm storage in the vertebrate female reproductive tract: How does it work so well?

Cited by 115 publications

References 76 publications

Epigenetics as a source of variation in comparative animal physiology – or – Lamarck is lookin' pretty good these days

Epigenetics as a source of variation in comparative animal physiology – or – Lamarck is lookin' pretty good these days

Men Ejaculate Larger Volumes of Semen, More Motile Sperm, and More Quickly when Exposed to Images of Novel Women

Traversing the ovine cervix – a challenge for cryopreserved semen and creative science

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